Crimson Stained Sky
by Sky-eyed Kitsune
Summary: Humans know that they're flawed, that they're not perfect, but they also know is that there is an even more flawed life form: that of the Analiax demons. And that's all they needed to start a war. Sasunaru, Gaanaru
1. Pheromone Overload

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Bwahahaha!.**

**Gomi-kun: --groans—**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Oh shut up. -- SASUNARU! There is lots of one-sidedness on Sasuke and Naruto's part (mostly Naru's) but they are our main couple:D**

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**Fic Summary****: Humans know that they're flawed, that they're not perfect, because they say it all the time. But they also know is that there is an even more flawed life form- that of the Analiax.**

**The Analiax are a deadly race of demons that take on the traits and appearances of animals crossed with humans, with the ability to fully turn into their demon animal form at any given moment. They used to be loners or run in small packs, but 300 years ago they were united under a fox demon called Kyuubi. She brought all of the Analiax together and created the largest kingdom in the land of Konoha. For once they weren't being hunted for their fur or used as weapons or even as pets. They felt free together…or they did.**

**Humans are naturally scared of what is unknown to them, and this was no exception to the humans and trained warriors known as shinobi of Konoha. The only rival to the vast Uchiha Dynasty was that of the Analiax, the power hungry demons that soiled the land and wilted the trees with their presence. The Analiax were animalistic demons, and that was all they needed to start a war.**

**It started off as a debate over land for the two powerful kingdoms, nothing special. But as the years flew by and progressed, so did the topic of quarrel. It wasn't really about land anymore. It was about annihilating the "disgusting demons" and the "wretched humans". For 200 years the war has been raging, terrible and bloodthirsty, just for the sake of killing off a "tainted" species.**

**Enter 18 year old Naruto Uzumaki, last of Kyuubi Analiax bloodline killed off by the humans, and heir to the Analiax throne. His whole life was about preparing to fight the greedy humans, tear them to shreds, to utilize his animal powers to the max for destruction…and it was as boring as shit. Now next to recover the throne, he's being forced to find a mate, go through more royal behavior crap, and learn what to do when approached by a human. Bla, bla, bla! Just for one day he wants to get away from it all! So he does.**

**Enter 18 year old Sasuke Uchiha, next heir to the Uchiha Dynasty that his brother Itachi currently controls. Sasuke and Itachi never got along since the murder of their parents by an "unknown individual", but Sasuke knows deep down it was his brother. He had been craving the throne for years. Sasuke never associated much with anyone except his professor, Kakashi Hatake, and his horse Kuro. His main hobby? Study, study, study! He never has time for anything else! His only freedom during the day from his lessons, brother, and nagging teacher are his romps through the forest on his black stallion.**

**When two enemy worlds collide, hate, betrayal, war, and most of all love, will blossom.**

**A withered flower can bloom in the snow if it never gives up.

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**Chapter One: Pheromone Overload**

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"PRINCE NARUTOOOOOO-SAMA!"

"Prince Naruto-sama! Come out!"

"Come Prince Naruto-sama! Let's go out on a walk together!"

The loud voices of the prince's suitors outside of his castle balcony crashed through the early morning air, and a mass of bodies collected together, all shouting and pleading.

Inside the castle three female Analiax fought outside of a magnificent burled walnut door. One had small grey mouse ears, blonde hair and a thin tail. Another had black cat ears, a shining onyx tail dropping from her red dress, and black hair tied back into a braid. The last had long red hair, crimson sparrow feathers lined in rows down her arms.

"I want to wake up Prince Naruto-sama!" the mouse girl cried, blinking her bright pink eyes.

"I should be the one to wake him up! Neither of you deserve to look upon his beautiful face!" the cat replied, swishing her tail defiantly.

"You take that back you lump of coal!"

"I'm waking Prince Naruto-sama!"

"Shut it rat!"

In a matter of seconds the quarrel turned into large cat-fight, fingers grappling hair and tongues spouting profanities.

"I AM SO WAKING HIM!"

"FILTHY BIRD, I AM!"

"SHUT IT CAT BITCH!"

"_I'll_ wake him up," a new masculine voice said as a man with spiked brown hair, a long brown and black dappled tail, brown pointed dog ears and a scar over his nose parted through the quarreling women, pushing them aside as nicely as possible.

"Naruto-sama!" the man said, rapping on the door with his knuckles. "Are you up Naruto-sama?"

The man was met with no reply, and he sighed.

"Iruka-san, please may we wake up Prince Naruto-sama?" the cat demon asked, her ten-second enemies behind her and backing up her plea.

"No ladies, I'm sorry," the man named Iruka said. "Naruto-sama is hard to wake up this early in the morning."

"Pllllllleaseeee?" they all cried in unison, and a vein throbbed on Iruka's forehead.

"I said no. Now please, return to your tasks!"

Iruka turned back to the door as the girls left, whining quietly.

"Naruto-sama, I'm coming in," Iruka said, and he opened the door, shutting it behind him quickly to avoid any suitors such as the girls sneaking in.

The Prince's room was large, containing bookshelves filled to the brim with novels on the history of the Analiax to all of the plants in Konoha. The Prince always made a fit of studying, but in truth loved to read when he could find a book that sparked his interest. The room also contained comfy chairs, a royal blue couch, and a large black and dark orange bed. Iruka personally disliked the color of the bed, but it was the Prince's favorite color combination. The ceiling for the room, like most in the Analiax region, was made of an enormous bubble-like window, letting the sun naturally lighten or darken the room. Candles to the Analiax were a human comfort, unneeded by them. Their ancestral instincts still ran through their veins, which told them to fall with the moon and rise with the sun, not to use a fake light like a candle to try and suppress the dark.

To far side of the room was a large balcony, able to be covered by the transparent red curtains that separated the door to it. Other than this, the room didn't seem to express much, being neat, orderly, and most importantly, regal. Iruka wasn't fooled though- Naruto grew up doing nothing but studying and training to fight and utilize his powers, but this had not morphed him into royal drone.

Actually, it was quite the contrary.

"Naruto-sama, it's time to wake up," Iruka said, drawing back the curtains that enclosed the prince's bed.

What was revealed there could have made the coldest heart beat three times faster.

There among the covers lay a young man of 18, sleeping soundly. His head rested on the black pillow under him comfortably, his golden blonde hair spilling over it like liquid sun against the midnight sky. His eyes were shut softly, supple lips parted slightly as his chest rose up and down with the rhythmic motion of his breathing.

His skin was a flawless tan, sun-kissed to perfection that made the sunlight itself seem jealous. Under his mat of spiked golden hair, two fox ears poked out, drooping slightly. On each of his cheeks were three black whisker marks. They clashed against his skin brilliantly, making him seem to glow all the more.

He was shorter than average, but his body was lithe and firm, arms slightly muscular and chest toned. He wore only a pair of dark orange boxers, the covers spilling down his chest to let his golden skin shine in the light. From his boxers a long silky golden fox tail dipped in white poked out, wrapping around his body.

He was the epitome of beautiful; a walking sex god reincarnated.

This was exactly the reason Iruka didn't want anyone else to wake Naruto up but himself. If any other person did, they would jump Naruto in a second, especially since he was looking for a mate.

Yes, as much as the Prince despised it, he was the throne's successor and had to find a mate. He had too many suitors to count, male and female, but he would only be allowed to mate with the approved nobilities.

Today was the day he would meet them all, hence his waking up so early.

As the next Analiax ruler, he also needed to study more in depth about humans, since along with the throne he would also be taking on the war between humans and Analixes. Personally he didn't give a shit. To the Prince, all he needed to know was that humans had killed his kin and were cruel, despicable creatures.

"Prince Naruto-sama, please wake up," Iruka said, shaking the gorgeous prince by the shoulder gently.

Iruka knew that shouting and screaming for him to awaken was number one, disrespectful to royalty, and number two, only made Naruto cranky when he woke up. Naruto was an orphan, his nobility recognized by his fox bloodline alone, and any history of his parents was long lost. So Naruto had been adopted by the queen of the Analiax, Tsunade-sama. In reality, Naruto was mostly raised by Iruka, who was also his mentor for all of his nonviolence (training) related teachings. At the time taking care of Naruto for the queen while she was busy was the least he could do.

Iruka had also been an orphan; a mutt brought to Tsunade for thievery, skirmishing in public places, and ignoring authority figures. Tsunade's punishment for him, since no other authority could restrain him, was to work in the castle as a servant for one week. Tsunade overworked him on purpose, as she was actually very kind to all her castle help; a trait inherited by the Prince. Iruka straightened out, and since he was not allowed to leave the castle, spent his time in the library there reading. He found a great passion for learning there, and after some pleading on his part to Tsunade, he was permitted to stay at the castle and was trained under the current professor. When the old professor died, Iruka took his position, his attitude sculpted wonderfully, befitting that of a noble.

"Naruto-sama," Iruka said a bit more loudly now.

"Neh…" Naruto whined and yawned, revealing glistening white canines. He flipped over onto his other side and flicked his tail, mumbling something as he continued to bask in his sweet sleep.

Iruka rolled his eyes as he went to open the curtains, and the sunlight spilled into the room.

Naruto dug his currently dull claws into his mattress, smothering his face in his pillow.

Iruka sighed and his ears pulled back in frustration; Naruto was being extra unbreakable today.

"Naruto-sama, you missed the morning hunt," Iruka said, crossing his arms. Naruto waved a hand haphazardly in the air and groaned before letting it flop back to the silk sheets.

"Ok, you win," Iruka said, making his footsteps loud as he walked to the door.

"I guess I'll just have to let in the maids that are making such a fuss outside the door-"

Iruka stopped, his hand an inch from the doorknob as a kunai knife whizzed through the air and sunk into the door only a millimeter from his head.

"That's a dirty trick," Naruto growled, sitting up in his bed. Iruka grinned.

"It works, doesn't it?" he said, pulling the kunai from the door. Naruto rolled his eyes and threw the covers off of himself.

"Ok girls, come in and do your jobs," Iruka said, opening the door.

The three young maids came bustling in, bowed to Naruto and blushed at his perfect body, and went about making his bed.

Iruka wasn't worried. As long as Naruto was awake, the girls were too submissive to approach him.

Naruto's sensitive ears perked up, and he looked toward his balcony door.

"What's all the noise?" he said, and moved to open the door as the girls ogled his ass.

"Naruto-sama, wait!" Iruka said, and Naruto flung open the door.

"NARUTO-SAMA!"

"OH MY GOD! HE'S GORGEOUS!"

"NARUTO-SAMA, I LOVE YOU!"

Naruto shut the door again, blushing hard.

"I'm sorry Naruto-sama," Iruka said. "But you're very popular."

Naruto scoffed.

"I never asked for this many suitors."

Iruka shrugged as Naruto went into his drawers and pulled out a black dress shirt and pants, and a long red robe trimmed with gold.

Iruka ushered the girls out with him as he let Naruto change, and he reappeared outside of his room two minutes later looking gorgeous as ever.

Iruka turned as a servant walked down the hall, carrying a pillow with a golden crown on it, ruby and sapphires framing it beautifully.

Iruka took it and placed it on Naruto's head. Naruto sighed.

"Prince Naruto-sama?" Iruka asked, dismissing the servant.

"Iruka-sensei…why do I have to do this?" Naruto asked. "Why do I need a mate?"

Iruka smiled and shook his head as he began walking down the hall with Naruto.

"You must produce an heir for us Naruto-sama," Iruka said. "Especially with your bloodline. You are, after all, the last Kyuubi heir."

Naruto sighed again as he and Iruka opened two massive doors leading to the throne room.

Naruto had a seat at his throne, his golden and white dipped tail swishing by him as he crossed his legs and rested his chin on his palm in a bored manner.

"Prince," Iruka scolded, and Naruto's fox ears pulled back at his tone of voice. "At least act like you care. These are your potential mates you know."

Naruto mumbled something, when suddenly there was a chirp, and an Analiax with the wings of a hawk walked in through two large double doors.

"Your highness," he said, bowing. "Please allow me to introduce the noble families whom wish to be your mate." The man let out another chirp, and the doors opened to let a group of Analiax, male and female, stride in purposefully. They all gathered in a line in front of Naruto, and his eyes widened.

"Iruka-sensei…most of these people are my friends," he said, and Iruka nodded.

"They would like to be more than friends Naruto," Iruka said. "Their families are not pushing any of them into this, so they are doing it of their own accord. You are a person to get easily attached to, Naruto-sama."

From left to right were five people- two female and three male. The first one was a shy blue-haired girl with drooping white bunny ears that matched her crystal eyes wearing a navy kimono. Naruto knew her as his friend Hinata from the Hyuuga Clan. Their bloodline was rare and healthy.

Next was another Analiax with similar white eyes. His hair was a long chestnut brown tied back into a loose ponytail, his skin pale. From his back a pair of beautiful white bird wings were folded, and his tail feather stuck out a bit beneath his shirt. Naruto knew that he was Hinata's cousin, but he hadn't gotten to know him well. He may have just been a branch from the Hyuuga clan and not a main one, but he was stronger than any branch member living.

Then there was a pink-haired girl with white cat ears and a fluffy white tail with a pink bow tied to the end. She blinked her emerald eyes playfully at Naruto and swished her tail. Her name was Sakura, and Naruto had known her since he was very young. She was from the Haruno clan, known for their beauty more than anything.

Next was a brown spiky-haired young man with red triangle markings under his eyes, the mark of his clan. His name was Kiba, another best friend of Naruto's he was tall with black eyes and brown wolf ears perked up from his head. Behind him a russet wolf tail curled in and out and swished expectantly. He winked at Naruto. His clan was known for their heavy canine bloodlines.

Finally there was a young man with ruby red hair and the Japanese kanji symbol for love on his forehead. His hair fell around his face and framed it beautifully, and his eyes were a light emerald. A bit beneath his hair were a pair of black raccoon ears, and a black and white striped fluffy raccoon tail rested by his feet. Naruto knew that his name was Gaara no Sabaku and that his clan was a strong a beautiful bloodline, but he knew nothing else about him.

"Alright Naruto-sama, which one pleases you the most?" Iruka asked, flourishing a hand at all of them, who perked up considerably, and Naruto felt the testosterone and pheromone level in the room bounce.

"I…" Naruto started, and flicked his gorgeous tail in annoyance.

"I don't know," he sighed. "They're all great candidates I suppose…"

It really didn't matter whether or not Naruto chose a male or a female, for in the Analiax world, as long as there was a submissive and dominant gene couple even of the same gender, offspring could still be produced. Naruto would be dominant in the case of females, but since his gene was submissive, for the same gender he would also be submissive, which is why the current potential male mates in the room were all dominant.

"Naruto-sama, please choose," Iruka said, sighing. He knew it was tough for Naruto to do this since Analiax mated for life, and it was difficult to mate with a best friend.

Naruto put his head in his hands and groaned.

"Can't you just pick for me?" he asked.

"No Prince. You need to choose your own mate."

Naruto groaned again.

"Fine, fine, we'll do this differently," Iruka said.

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Naruto blinked up at the library doors, his head tilted to one side.

"Iruka-sensei, what're we doing at the library?" he asked.

"You'll see Naruto-sama. Go ahead in," said Iruka next to him, and opening the door he gave the boy a push and shut the door quickly again.

Naruto's ears pulled down as he looked before him and saw his potential mates scattered about in the room.

Just him and his mates.

Alone.

In one room.

With Iruka keeping the door shut.

Naruto's inner self panicked as he backed up to a corner of the library, Sakura approaching him seductively.

"Hey hottie," Sakura said, smiling and showing off her white feline teeth. She pulled her ears back and let her clawed-hands crawl up Naruto's chest, purring. Suddenly Sakura was pushed away and Kiba grinned at Naruto.

"Naruto-sama doesn't need a bitch like you Sakura," he said, looking back at the cat, who hissed.

Kiba wrapped his tail around Naruto's and nuzzled his neck. Then Kiba was tossed aside and replaced by Neji.

"Hello Naruto-sama," he said. He captured Naruto's chin in his hands and stroked one of his cheeks.

"Hey! Claws off!" Kiba said, giving Neji a swift kick. Sakura approached again, but soon found herself engaged in a fight with Neji and Kiba.

Naruto edged his way along the wall away from the group and towards the door, his face red and flushed. Half was from embarrassment, and the other half was his own personal problem.

Naruto didn't like too many people near him; and made him feel suffocated and almost hard to breathe when they were all crowding around him and smothering him. Iruka knew this, so why did he use the seclusion mating method!?

Naruto slid down the wall, his breath becoming hitched as the shouting continued. Suddenly he saw Hinata come into view.

"Naruto-sama, are you feeling unwell?" she said. Naruto put his head in his hands_"_.

"Hinata-chan, I'll take care of it," an unfamiliar voice said.

"H-hai Gaara-san!" Hinata said, standing up.

Naruto suddenly felt a pair of strong arms lift him up as he closed his eyes.

"_Gaara-san?"_

Naruto gripped the front of Gaara's black shirt and buried his head in his chest, lowering his ears as he tried to block out the noise as it grew louder.

Naruto sensed Gaara move, then felt a small whoosh of air, and the noise was shut out.

"Naruto-sama?"

Naruto turned his head and opened his eyes slowly, and saw Iruka's face come into view.

"Iruka-sensei…?" Naruto said, and then blinked as his vision fully cleared.

"BAKA!" he shouted, hitting Iruka over the head. "Why did you do that!? You know I have a relapse when I'm around that many people!"

"Gomen Naruto-sama," Iruka said, rubbing his head and smiling sheepishly. "I knew, yes, but that was why I did this. The person who wouldn't immediately approach you and be more concerned with you yourself rather than fighting to gain mating ownership over you would care about you the most. And it worked."

Iruka nodded up, and Naruto lifted his head up to stare directly into Gaara's light jade eyes.

"G-Gaara-san!" Naruto stuttered, embarrassed, and Iruka smiled.

"Naruto-sama, would you like Gaara-sama to be your mate?" Iruka asked.

Naruto blinked at Gaara's calm face, then nodded slowly.

"Excellent!" Iruka cried, clapping his hands together. "You may spend the rest of the day together to get to know each other better. And Gaara-sama, you may spend the night here."

"Arigatou," Gaara said, placing Naruto down, and Iruka went off down the hall happily.

Naruto looked up at Gaara and smiled, when he suddenly felt his head become dizzy and he fell forward. Gaara caught him swiftly, and Naruto landed against his firm, warm chest.

"Are you still feeling ill?" Gaara asked, his voice smooth and level. Naruto nodded.

"Gomen…" he said, and Gaara smiled softly and held him close.

"Let me help you to your room," he said. "You should rest."

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Yay! Chappie one of my weird sasunaru fantasy fic done! O.o Some gaanaru thrown in for spice! ;3**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune and Gomi-kun**


	2. I Blame my Stomach

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Hello! Thank vu for all teh reviews! ;3**

**Gomi-kun: -.-' She's hyper today…more than usual…**

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**Anon Reviewer Replies (since there's now a button that says "reply to review" for everyone else!) :**

**To ddd: arigatou!**

**To Hime: Cause I luuv sasunaru! ;3**

**To Tobi54: HI TOBI! TOBI IS A GOOD BOY!! Lol! Thank-you!**

**To Moko: O.o I hope they're not! Lol. If you think so, you can read my other fics and decide if my writing has good quality. --clasps hands together-- Kami-sama pleae say I do!!!**

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Chapter Two: I Blame my Stomach

Gaara opened the door to Naruto's room, shutting it carefully behind him as he carried the prince in his arms.

He laid Naruto on his bed, letting the flushed prince rest, then bowed and walked back to the door.

"Gaara?" Naruto said, and Gaara turned to him.

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to let you rest," Gaara said. "Unless you want me to stay Naruto-sama."

Naruto blushed more, adding to his red face as he nodded.

Gaara smiled a bit as he walked over and climbed onto Naruto's bed. Naruto gasped from surprise as Gaara pulled him close into an embrace. Then relaxing, Naruto let his head fall on Gaara's chest, albeit a little uneasily.

"So, tell me about yourself Naruto-sama," Gaara said.

"Gaara, don't call me that," Naruto said. "It's Naruto."

"All right. Tell me about yourself, Naruto."

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Naruto opened his eyes. 

He and Gaara had been talking about themselves for over an hour and a half before they had both fallen asleep. Naruto had to admit that Gaara was a nice Analiax and would make a good friend…but that was just it.

He was more like a friend.

Naruto looked up at Gaara's sleeping face, and he frowned a bit and pulled back his golden and white tipped fox ears.

"_I'm sorry Gaara…I don't want to be your mate, even if you want to be mine. You're a great person…but just a friend. I'm so sorry."_

Naruto rose from his bed, quietly tiptoeing over to his dresser and pulling out a black shirt with fishnet sleeves and a pair of plain black pants. He changed into them quickly, leaving on the crystal blue necklace that hung around his collar and displayed his nobility. His hand brushed by the intricate tattoo over his stomach, a birth mark signifying him as an undisputed heir of Kyuubi herself.

Naruto swished his tail back and forth as it stuck out of his pants. He sighed and looked back at the raccoon Analiax on his bed, still sleeping.

He sadly shook his head as he went to his window and hopped out of it, steadying himself on a sturdy tree branch as he dropped to the ground and sped off.

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A flash of sparkling gold sifted through the white forest floor, ducking behind bushing and limbs now and then. 

Naruto pumped his legs forward until he was in the center of the snowy forest, and he let himself catch his breath.

Iruka had said that he had missed the morning hunt, and he was freaking STARVING!

Iruka would have made him stay in the castle and wait for the night hunt to eat, but no way in hell was he going to torture himself like that!

Unlike humans, Analixes didn't save food and store it until it was bought or went bad. They hunted in the morning and at night, believing in the phrase to take only what they needed. Not everything humans stored were always eaten; a lot of it went bad, and it was a waste. In the market of the Analiax kingdom, only plants and herbs were sold as food. You would have to hunt if you wanted meat. And man, did Naruto want some!

Naruto got down on all fours and closed his eyes as his body suddenly elongated, his tail split, and golden fur spread over his body.

A moment later, a wolf-sized fox stood in the prince's place, his eyes their same striking blue and not one but nine tails flowing from his body. All Analiax had a larger and regular animal form, the larger commonly used for hunting or battle.

Naruto perked up his large golden and white dipped ears, his tail flicking this way and that as he opened his senses for prey.

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"Prince Naruto-sama!" Iruka called through the castle, stopping by the library, the common room, and looking down every hallway for the troublemaking heir. 

"Ah! Rin!"

One of the maids stopped and turned around, her white tiger tail and ears perking up as Iruka approached her.

"Ohayo Iruka-san!" she said cheerfully.

"Have you seen the Prince anywhere?" Iruka asked. "He seems to have run off again."

"I'm sorry Iruka-san, I haven't. Perhaps he went for a stroll through the garden?"

Iruka sighed and rubbed his temples.

The Prince was going to get into a lot of trouble one day, and it would be his own fault!

* * *

Naruto's tails drooped as he padded over the cold snow-covered forest floor, a chilly wind ruffling his thick golden fur. 

The winter season had been harsh this year and there were few pickings. Naruto's stomach whined and he growled a bit as he huffed and plunked to the ground, wrapping his tail around his large fox form.

Not even a freaking field mouse!

Naruto's head suddenly perked up when he saw where he was.

The scent of his kingdom ended here as the forest ran into human territory. That side of the forest had been lucky this year, saved from the frost that didn't reach it as harshly as the Analiax's side.

Naruto's ears perked up and he rose from his place on the snow as his eyes gleamed.

He closed his eyes as his body grew smaller and his tails retracted back into one. In his place was now a small golden fox with large white-tipped ears and big sky-blue eyes.

He could hunt a bit in human territory…it was no big deal as long as he stayed in his regular (if not a bit smaller) fox form, right?

Naruto nodded to himself as he leapt into the new brush, his nose immediately catching a scent.

_Jackpot!

* * *

_

Prince Sasuke sighed as he rode up on his black stallion Kuro to the rest of the royal council of the Uchiha Dynasty, also known as the kingdom of Konoha. He hated the morning hunt.

"Sasuke-sama, good to see you this morning!" his teacher Kakashi said cheerfully, sitting on his white horse a bit lazily with a book in front of him. The man was in his mid to late twenties, his hair spiked and white with a black scarf covering the lower half of his face and his left eye.

"Hn," Sasuke replied as he moved his horse up by his teacher's.

"SASUKE-SAMA! HOW WONDERFULLY REFRESHED AND YOUTHFUL YOU LOOK TODAY!"

Sasuke's eardrums cried for mercy as the noble next to him clad in a green robe shouted his usual good morning. Lee was always too hyper, but for God's sake, it was only seven thirty in the morning!

But no one could deny that the prince looked dashing, as usual.

He wore his formal navy blue top that outlined his thin but strong frame, the Uchiha fan crest on his right breast. His pants were a simple black, but outlined his lithe and firm legs, a golden belt buckle holding them up. On the belt a gleaming silver dagger was clipped to his left, and a pistol to his right. At his neck was the tied for the dark blue cloak that hung about his shoulders and billowed behind him. His skin was soft and creamy, a living breathing moonlight that brought out his deep black, almost red enchanting eyes. His black and blue sheen hair fell in shards in front that framed his regal face, spiking up a bit in the back.

He was at the ripe age of eighteen, the envy of men and the desire of women.

Utterly flawless.

"Well then, shall we being?" Sasuke's attendant Genma said and Sasuke nodded, seeing that everyone in his party was present.

The hounds by Genma's feet yapped and barked in approval, eager to get started.

A servant scurried in front of the horses and dogs, unlatching the cage to let the common red fox zip out.

After a short head start, Genma fired his pistol and the party was sent flying off after the poor creature.

* * *

Naruto growled low in his throat and swatted the snow with his paw. 

It was too freaking cold to have to find that scent all over again! That dang rabbit just HAD to have that white winter coat…

Naruto's stomach whined, and he reiterated it, whimpering pitifully as he curled up on the snow and wrapped his tail around his small body for warmth.

His ears suddenly perked, and in a second he found himself doubled over, rammed considerably well.

Naruto blinked and sat up as the thing that had pushed him paused and met his gaze.

"_Watch it!"_ Naruto yapped at the red fox.

"_Gomen! Run! Run!"_ the fox cried. _"The dogs! The two-legs! They're coming!!!"_

Naruto gave the fox a quizzical look as it sped through the trees, when a strong foreign scent took hold of him and his eyes widened.

He didn't even have time to blink before he heard the barking and hoof beats, and he zipped off through the bushes.

He heard the frantic yapping, and he sped up his steps as quickly as he could with what energy he had.

He was just a regular fox in this form, and if he changed back he would be immediately noticed and be knee deep in shit.

Naruto yelped as a sudden sharp shot of pain pulsed through his leg and he was jerk back, something in turn ripping through his skin.

Naruto looked back and saw that this ankle was caught in some kind of silver's animal's jaws, its teeth sharp and sinking into his flesh. Iruka had warned him about these creatures…

"_Leggo!"_ Naruto yapped, trying to pull his leg away but only increasing the pain as blood spilled down his back leg.

"_This way! I smell 'em! I smell 'em!"_

Naruto's eyes grew big as he heard the dogs cheering, and in a second they were inches from him.

"_There he is!"_

"_I got 'em, I got 'em!"_

The dogs bared their teeth and growled, and Naruto backed up a bit.

"_Ok, come quietly and we won't have to drag you back to master Sasuke by your neck!"_ the red one on the right said, and the brown one on the left agreed.

Naruto snarled and hissed, his tail erect and ears back as his golden fur stood on end.

"_Back off mutts!"_ he barked. _"Like hell I'll come quietly!"_

The one on the right lunged, and Naruto ducked quickly, thankful that the chain connected to the little monster wasn't too short, and he bit the hound on the juncture at his neck.

The dog yelped as blood stained his fur, and the other leapt in.

Whines and growls filled the air as claws slashed and ripped fur covered flesh, and teeth sunk into limbs.

The brown dog limped off to the side, having had enough, and watched his partner fight the little fox.

Naruto and the red dog circled, blood covering Naruto's fur, that of his own and the dog's, making it gleam crimson against the light. Every twist of his body made the silver creature bite into him more, practically detaching his limb.

His body shook with pain and cold as his paws stepped in and out of the red snow. He and the brown dog, also in bad shape, circled as far as Naruto's leg would let him.

Naruto's muzzle and teeth were also thick with blood, his blue eyes blazing.

Footsteps sounded in the distance, and as the dog was caught off guard, Naruto slash his face. It yelped and sought out comfort from its partner, moving away from the fox.

Naruto let his body hit the blood stained snow, and he whined as his wounds and depleted energy caught up with him.

The hoof beats became thundering, and Naruto looked up as he saw a young human on an onyx horse approach him.

Naruto hissed between his pants as he caught his breath, and the horse stopped seven feet away, obeying the fox prince's command to basically back off.

* * *

"Kuro?" Sasuke said as his stallion stopped. He urged it forward, but it whinnied and rose up on its hind legs. 

Sasuke pulled back the reins, and hauled off his horse.

He pat its side, shushing and calming it. That's when he looked ahead and saw it- a golden fox, blood stained and snarling not far from two very wounded hunting hounds. The thing looked no older than a kit judging by its size, and yet it had the ferocity to take down two pure bred hunting dogs with years of experience?

Kuro neighed and dug into the ground with his hoof, looking at the fox.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Was the creature _that_ dangerous?

Sasuke moved forward carefully as the wounded dogs whined and went to rest by Kuro.

Kuro let out a sound of disproval again, worrying for his master, but Sasuke ignored it.

Sasuke kneeled down a foot from the fox, which growled and hissed, blood adorning its muzzle.

Sasuke could tell immediately by its fur and spunk that this was not the fox they had captured before. And especially by its eyes. Bright, sky-blue eyes…

Sasuke carefully reached out a hand but pulled it back as the fox lunged for it. He would have bitten it too if it weren't for the fact that it was suddenly jerked back and it yelped as it hit the snow.

Sasuke's eyes widened a bit when he saw the metal animal trap sinking into the kit's flesh, bleeding terribly. It still fought even with such an injury?

"Tough little thing, aren't you?" Sasuke said, and the fox tipped a golden ear up. Sasuke's breath caught. Could it understand him?

Sasuke reached for the trap, when the fox snarled menacingly and snapped at the opposing appendage.

Sasuke glared at the fox, and then his expression softened.

"I'm not trying to hurt you," he said calmly. "I'm trying to remove the trap."

The fox, despite Sasuke's words, stiffened and growled insistently. Sasuke could tell it was exhausted, but it proved itself to be a fighter.

Sasuke reached forward again for the trap, and this time didn't pull back when the creature attacked.

Sasuke winced as the fox's sharp canines bit directly into his pale flesh, drawing blood on contact. He shook off the strong and moved it forward, the fox too sapped of strength to hold him back. His locked his eyes with the mammal's menacing blue gaze.

Sasuke pressed a lever on the trap and pulled it back swiftly, his eyes never leaving the fox's.

* * *

Naruto never let his gaze with the raven human fall, even as it jerked back its hand swiftly. 

Naruto felt a sudden tension release from his back leg, and he instinctively pulled it, suddenly finding he was no longer hindered by the silver creature's teeth.

"See?" the human said, and Naruto's ears twitched. The human held up the little silver monster by its chain, and Naruto realized that he had released him from it.

The human threw the creature aside and bore into Naruto's eyes, begging for trust. Naruto had never seen so much emotion through someone's eyes…

Naruto slowly let his jaw, once fixed on the human's flesh, unhinge.

* * *

Sasuke pulled his hand back just as slowly as the fox had let go of it. 

The fox's ears drooped, and suddenly it fell to the snow, completely drained. It whined quietly, eyes closed.

Sasuke felt his heart wrench for the poor thing, and…wait, what!? He, Prince Sasuke Uchiha, A.K.A number one heartless bastard, felt _sorry_ for something!? Sasuke shook his head, but couldn't deny that the creature looked pitiful. He reached out his uninjured hand to it.

The fox opened its eyes and regarded the hand warily, letting out a whimper of fear.

"It's ok," Sasuke assured it. He stopped inches from the fox's muzzle. The creature didn't even have the strength to give it a quick sniff over.

Sasuke placed his hand on the fox's head, surprised when instead of rough bristles he felt the velveteen brushes of gold fur beneath his fingertips.

The fox lowered its ears as Sasuke pet it gently, and he smiled it bit when it let out a soft purr.

The kitsune suddenly curled up and whined, covering itself protectively with its tail as the rest of Sasuke's hunting party came up on their horses.

"Well done Sasuke-sama!" Lee said, his instructor Gai nodding with him.

"Hm…this doesn't look like the fox we set loose," Kakashi said looking at the shivering fox. "Did it take down both of those hounds?"

Sasuke nodded and Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"It looks no older than a kit," Sasuke's cousin Sai commented, and the fox seemed to flare a bit at that. At least, as much as it could.

Genma hopped down from his brown horse and approached the fox. He grabbed it roughly by the scruff of its neck, and it yelped in pain and surprise.

"Well then Sasuke-sama, you win the hunt," he said. "Itachi-sama despises foxes, so I'll dispose of this one so that you may return to-"

"Wait," Sasuke said quickly. "I mean…it's alright, I'll do it."

"Sasuke-sama, I couldn't trouble you."

"No, go ahead. Tomorrow is your Sakura Blossom Day, correct? Take the rest of today and tomorrow off."

"H-hai! Arigatou gozaimasu Sasuke-sama!"

Genma handed the kit to Sasuke as he remounted his horse and trampled off with the group.

Sasuke held the kit in his arms as he watched them go. Once out of sight, he pet the creature gently.

"_If I leave it out here like this it might die…"_ Sasuke thought, his original plan of letting the fox go no longer valid. He sighed and held up the kit so that they were nose-to-nose.

"I'm going to take you back with me," he said. "I'll help you heal your leg."

Sasuke waited for the thing to squirm, but it never did. It blinked at Sasuke with its big blue eyes, and the raven held him back to his chest.

He mounted Kuro, and then stopped as he thought.

"Itachi will never let me keep a fox in the house," he said. "He'll probably think that you're some Analiax and try to kill you…"

The fox shifted in Sasuke's arms.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He opened his shirt and lifted the fox, plunking him down into it. The fox let out a startled yip and gave Sasuke a dirty look. Sasuke brought his cloak up around him more and buttoned it at the front so that it covered him. The fox poked its head out from the shirt and through the collar of the cloak.

"Get back down!" Sasuke chided, pushing the protesting creature back. "If you want to stay alive then stay hidden under my cloak. I'll let you go when we reach my room in the palace.

The fox seemed to amazingly understand, and it hunkered back down into Sasuke's shirt. Sasuke was about to urge Kuro forward, when a yip came from his shirt and the horse sped ahead. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and then guessing the horse must have been scared, shrugged it off.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he told the horse to move ahead, taking cover in the human's shirt. What had the others called him? Sat…Su…Sas…yea! Sasuke! And they had called him a prince!? 

Naruto gulped.

Iruka had told him that when he took the throne soon, he would have to be wary of the current human ruler. But…he was just a prince, not a king. So was this man really the object of Naruto's supposed fear for his nation? Sasuke had saved him from being killed…but he was still human! And humans were vile, evil creatures!

…right?

Naruto had never met one in person. The prince's other group of humans, especially that brown-hair one that had tried to kill him, didn't seem very pleasant. But Sasuke…

Sasuke was his savior.

Naruto sighed again and rubbed up to the warmth next to him, forgetting that it was a human, and he curled up. Sasuke had such soft skin…and it was his stomach's fault for getting him into this mess anyway!

* * *

Sasuke bit back a laugh as he felt the fox in his shirt rub up against him and settle down, its soft fur tickling Sasuke. He shivered as he felt the fox's fur, and knew immediately that it must have been half frozen when he found it. 

Sasuke smiled a bit as he felt the fox sigh against him, and knew that it was going to sleep.

At least he had saved one life from his brother Itachi.

* * *

**X3 Sooooo cute, ne? Ooh! Sneak preview of the next chapter just to tease you! ;)**

Naruto eyed the steaming water with white bubbles warily with pulled back ears as he struggled in Sasuke's grasp.

"You have to take a bath!" Sasuke said, trying to keep the wriggling fox under control. "You can't stay here unless you do!"

"_Then maybe I don't wanna stay here!"_ Naruto retorted, which came out as a few whines and a yip to Sasuke. He suddenly yelped as he felt warm water rush over him as Sasuke dunked him into the bath tub.

"_Ah! This water is weird!"_ Naruto whined. _"What's this white foam? Ah! My fur!"_

Naruto yapped and growled a bit, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Dobe fox, it's not going to eat you," he said.

"_How do you know!?"_ Naruto barked.

Sasuke shook his head, not needing to speak fox to know that the outburst was a retort.

"Look, I'll show you. I'll get in too."

Naruto lifted his paws from the water and looked at them. He whined and shook them out along with his bubble covered fur, but he remained sopping wet. If foxes could have pouted then Naruto would have.

"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke said, and Naruto looked up to scowl at him when a shiver ran down his spine.

And it definitely wasn't from the water.


	3. The Human Side

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Sorry it took so long! I have more exams coming up and I have five other ongoing stories -- meh.**

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**Reviewer Replies:**

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed! I'm not responding to you all individually now because I feel bad for making you all wait so long for this…so here it is! Get reading, un!**

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**Chapter Three: The Human Side**

--

Sasuke didn't know how that little gold fox could sleep in his shirt while his horse Kuro was galloping bumpily up and down the hills to the palace.

A minute later Sasuke pulled on Kuro's reins as he entered the town and rode his way through to the castle, nodding to citizens who waved at him but not talking.

He arrived at the palace stables shortly, breathing in the crisp smell of fresh hay. Sasuke cradled his shirt covered by his cloak as he hoped off his stallion and led it into his stall with his free hand.

As Sasuke locked the stall, a white horse behind him whined loudly, and Sasuke winced as the golden fox kit scrambled against his skin in fear.

"Ouch!" he said, opening the front of his shirt and pulling out the kit. He held it by the scruff of its neck in front of his face.

"Don't do that," he said. "Your claws hurt you know. And look, it's just a horse."

Sasuke turned so that the fox saw the snowy horse, which whinnied again and stamped its foot.

The kit pulled back its ears and hissed at the creature, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow when it reared back on its hind legs and cowered in the corner of its stall.

"You don't like that horse, huh?" he smirked. He held the kit in his arms and gave it a pat. "Smart. That's Lady Ino's horse; she's really annoying."

* * *

Naruto glared at the horse that had woken him, giving her a good tongue lashing.

He smiled a bit when Sasuke complimented him.

He looked around to find himself in a large building, the bottom littered with golden brown hay and stalls containing beautiful horses lining the walkway.

Another blonde horse snorted and kicked its foot back.

"Young master has brought a filthy pet!" she said, throwing back her mane.

"Indeed, what a disgrace," a chestnut horse to Naruto's right said, neighing.

Naruto bared his teeth and growled, but drew back as all of the other horses got in a fuss and all started talking at once.

"Who is that yellow mutt?"

"A mongrel of the worst kind!"

"Poor master Uchiha to be burdened with it!"

"He's probably just waiting to kill the wretched thing!"

"Leave the kit alone!"

* * *

Sasuke watched in amazement as all of the horses started to riot and whinny, throwing back their heads and stomping their feet, their gaze directed at the golden fox.

Sasuke looked down at the kit to find that it had gone from growling to pulling back its large white-tipped ears in fear.

Kuro suddenly let out a mighty whinny beside Sasuke, and the stable quieted.

* * *

"Disgraceful, all of you picking on a kit when he himself was picked by Master Sasuke's hand!" Kuro yelled at the other horses.

"Master Sasuke saved the fox, and has no means of killing it whatsoever! This already makes it worth more than the lot of you common stable beasts will ever be!"

Naruto looked at Kuro, who bowed his head deeply to the fox in respect to his higher stature.

"_He must be from our side of the forest if he knows I'm royalty,"_ Naruto thought.

He gave a subtle nod to Kuro, immensely grateful, when he felt the other horses' eyes burn holes through him.

* * *

Sasuke watched the whole exchange in awe, when the fox turned its gaze from Kuro and scrambled up Sasuke's shirt, curling around his neck and shivering a bit in fear.

Sasuke pulled the fox from his shoulders and held him close and protectively in his arms.

"I wish I could speak animal," he said.

He opened his shirt and lowered Naruto into it, the kitsune curling up against his stomach as Sasuke pulled his cloak over his front to hide the lump in his shirt.

* * *

A white-haired man with a black mask covering the lower half of his face sighed.

"Where is he?" he muttered. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot as he stood in the hall outside of the palace library.

A young woman wearing a light blue maid outfit with bluish raven hair passed the man, carrying fresh white towels.

"Hinata-chan, have you seen Sasuke? He's late for his lesson." he said to her.

"I-ie Kakashi-san," the girl named Hinata replied, before continuing on her way.

* * *

Sasuke entered the huge golden double doors of the Uchiha estate, the two guards at the front bowing as he did.

"May we take your cloak for you young master?" the one on the left said, bowing.

"No, I'm fine," Sasuke said, pulling his cloak more tightly around himself as he strode ahead.

He passed down the winding halls and up the regal spiraling staircases until he reached the third floor of the castle.

He held a hand to his shirt, making sure that the fox kit was safe as he walked forward.

He passed room after room, walking quickly and keeping his cloak close.

"_Almost there,"_ he thought as he near the large door at the end of the hall.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke froze an inch from the door and turned, his glare on full force.

"What Kakashi?" he spat.

The opposite man sighed.

"You're late for your lesson," he said. "Your father made it clear to me how important it is for you to attend your daily lessons when you are so close to receiving the-"

Kakashi was cut off as Sasuke let out a yelp and his body wiggled. The brunette entered his room and slammed the door in his tutor's face.

"…crown," Kakashi finished lamely.

* * *

Sasuke threw aside his cloak, reaching into his shirt and pulling out the golden fox kit by the scruff of its neck.

"What was that for!?" Sasuke said, glaring. "Why'd you start scrambling around in my chest!?"

Sasuke plopped the fox on the bed as if waiting for an answer, and raised an eyebrow when the kit pulled its ears back and let out a loud whine.

* * *

"Oooowwww!" Naruto cried. "It hurt's, it really huuuuurts!"

* * *

The kit continued to yelp and whimper, and Sasuke wished for the second time that day that he could understand what it was saying.

Sasuke almost smacked himself for forgetting about the kit's battered state and bleeding leg.

"Sorry," he said. He took in the fox's dirty fur and sighed. "You'll need a bath first before I wrap up those wounds or else they might get infected."

Naruto tilted his head to one side.

Bath? What was bath?

Sasuke opened the door to his private bathroom and turned some knobs, running warm water into a white porcelain tub. He sprinkled some bath salts and beads, and the water foamed and bubbled.

The Uchiha turned off the water when it was at the right level, and went back into his room to fetch the fox. He found said fox licking his dirty paws and grooming his tail, obviously trying to clean himself up.

"Don't bother," Sasuke told the fox, and it looked up at him. "This bath will get you cleaner more than your tongue ever could."

Sasuke picked up the fox gently, careful of its wound, and carried it to the bathroom.

"_Hmm…"bath" must not be so bad if it gets me clean,"_ Naruto thought. _"Maybe it's like going into the lake or the hot springs back home to wash myself."_

Sasuke scratched the fox behind its ears as he felt it relax in his arms, and then it suddenly went stiff as a board as Sasuke neared the tub.

"_What the hell is all that white foamy stuff!?"_ Naruto thought. _"That is waaay to bubbly to be soap!"_

Naruto eyed the steaming water with white bubbles warily with pulled back ears as he struggled in Sasuke's grasp.

"You have to take a bath!" Sasuke said, trying to keep the wriggling fox under control. "You can't stay here unless you do!"

"_Then maybe I don't wanna stay here!"_ Naruto retorted, which came out as a few whines and a yip to Sasuke. He suddenly yelped as he felt warm water rush over him as Sasuke dunked him into the bath tub.

"_Ah! This water is weird!"_ Naruto whined. _"What's this white foam? Ah! My fur!"_

Naruto yapped and growled a bit, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Dobe fox, it's not going to eat you," he said.

"_How do you know!?"_ Naruto barked.

Sasuke shook his head, not needing to speak fox to know that the outburst was a retort.

"Look, I'll show you. I'll get in too."

Naruto lifted his paws from the water and looked at them. He whined and shook them out along with his bubble covered fur, but he remained sopping wet. If foxes could have pouted then Naruto would have.

"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke said, and Naruto looked up to scowl at him when a shiver ran down his spine.

And it definitely wasn't from the water.

Sasuke's skin was pale like the moonlight, his chest toned and firm with training. His black hair fell over his face and brushed against his bare shoulders, making his creamy skin glow beautifully.

Who knew that a human could be so…attractive?

Naruto felt his tiny fox cheeks become red as he blushed when he saw how…lovely endowed…Sasuke's lower region was.

Naruto let out a yelp of surprise as a small wave of water splashed over him, and he turned his head to see Sasuke sitting in the tub with him.

"See?" he said. "I told you its fine. It's just bubbles."

Naruto glared and shook out his fur.

His eyes widened when Sasuke moved to lie back in the tub, and the water rose above his head.

Naruto floated back to the top, drenched as he dog-paddled toward Sasuke.

Sasuke looked down as tiny paws pattered onto his chest, and the fox kit narrowed its eyes.

Sasuke started laughing.

"You look like a drenched rat!" Sasuke said, sitting up as he laughed, Naruto in turn plopping back into the water.

He yipped angrily when he resurfaced, and Sasuke's laughter died down.

"Fine, we'll get out, but I have to wash you first."

Sasuke reached over the side of the tub and squirted some shampoo into his hand, picking Naruto up and scrubbing him with his hands.

"_Of all the indignities!"_ Naruto thought as shampoo suds invaded his fur. _"I swear, if I were back at the palace I would never-! Ooo, that feels good…"_

Naruto purred as Sasuke massaged his large fox ears.

Sasuke chuckled.

"See, it's not bad now, is it?" he said. He cupped water into his hands and rinsed the kit off, then grabbed for the conditioner again and lathered it into the animal's fur.

Naruto purred again, then suddenly squeaked as he felt the swift rush of water over his hand, and he surfaced above it, dog-paddling.

He glared at Sasuke, who was washing his own hair.

"Don't give me that look," Sasuke said. "I have to wash myself too you know. Just hold on for five minutes, will you?"

* * *

"_Bleck, now I'm all wet and cold!"_

Naruto shook himself out for the third time as he padded back into Sasuke's room sopping wet.

"_God, it'll take hours for my fur to dry without lying in the sun!"_

Naruto was suddenly whisked off of his feet and enveloped in blue as Sasuke picked him up and began scrubbing him with a navy towel.

"Stop struggling dobe," Sasuke said as the fox wriggled. "It's just a towel!" Sasuke was satisfied when the fox became limp in his arms, and he dried it properly before setting it back down on the bed.

Sasuke chuckled when the kit's fur fluffed up and the fox became a walking puff ball.

"_Yea, yea, laugh it up,"_ Naruto thought as he patted down his fuzzy tail with his tiny paw.

He looked back up to find Sasuke gone from the spot where he had so recently stood.

"_Sasuke?"_ Naruto thought. _"Sasuke!"_

Naruto yipped.

Sasuke returned at the sound, holding a roll of bandages.

"Geez, can't leave you alone for a second can I?" Sasuke grumbled as he sat beside Naruto and began wrapping his injured leg gently.

"_Not when I'm in some crazy human world you can't!_" Naruto thought.

Sasuke sighed.

"Then again, judging by your size, you're only a kit."

"_I am NOT! I'm eighteen winters old! Gah! Why the hell do all you humans think I'm just a kit!?"_

The fox glared at Sasuke and he smirked.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow when the fox lowered its body down on the bed and a low rippling growl emitted in its throat.

"_Crap. I need to eat somethin' before animal instinct takes over,"_ Naruto thought as he involuntarily bared his canines.

He stopped himself in case he scared Sasuke, and rolled over on his back, whimpering.

"What now?" Sasuke sighed, sitting down beside Naruto on his bed. He reached out and scratched Naruto's tummy, and Naruto practically melted.

"_Mmm…….that….feels….. gooooood…"_ he thought as he purred and batted Sasuke's hand to kept him scratching.

Sasuke felt himself smile a bit.

Even if he was a coldhearted Uchiha, the kit looked adorable pawing Sasuke's hand and purring contentedly.

A small gurgle suddenly echoed from Naruto's stomach, and he stopped bopping Sasuke's hand in approval.

"Hungry much?" Sasuke scoffed.

Naruto rolled back over onto his thin belly, glaring at Sasuke, but yipped nonetheless.

Sasuke chuckled.

"You're a smart fox," he said. Naruto felt his chest puff up a bit with pride when Sasuke added, "Then again, you're the first fox I've ever spent time with, so for all I know you could be a complete dobe compared to other foxes."

Naruto growled. His ears perked as he heard footsteps coming from the hall, and Sasuke gave him a strange look.

"What?" the prince said.

"_Damn you humans and your terrible senses!"_ Naruto cursed in his mind.

Sasuke turned abruptly when there was a knock on the door.

"Sasuke! You have lessons today!" Kakashi said from behind the door.

"I'm skipping! I'm…not feeling well," Sasuke said. He heard Kakashi mumble something about royalty being so fragile as he walked away.

Naruto calmed.

"You have good hearing," Sasuke said to the fox. "Better than the hounds here for sure."

"_Yea that's great, whatever, now I want food! Pleeeeaaseee!"_ Naruto said, all of this coming out as a loud whine and a grumble from his stomach.

"Ok, ok," Sasuke said, turning to the door. "I'll bring you food. Stay here and don't mess up my room, dobe."

Naruto growled at Sasuke as he left.

He listened as Sasuke's footsteps disappeared, waiting until his highly sensitive ears picked up the inaudible steps of Sasuke walking down the carpeted spiral staircase to the first floor of the castle.

A small golden light twined around Naruto, and in three seconds he sat in his more human form upon the bed, the only difference being that he had golden fox ears that protruded from his spiked blonde hair and a yellow fox tail dipped white.

Naruto looked down to find himself naked.

"Stupid Sasuke, washing me…" Naruto grumbled. When bathing in his fox form he lost his previous clothing automatically so that when he changed back he wouldn't be wearing sopping wet garments.

Naruto stood and stretched, careful to not put too much weight on his ankle, which he had to admit Sasuke did a nice job of wrapping up.

He walked over to Sasuke's dresser, tossing through the clothing until he found something suitable.

He tried on a button up shirt, only to find it a size too big for him. He trifled through again, trying on various shirts and pants as he sought something that would fit him.

He finally slipped on a crimson red tank top, navy boxers, and a pair of black pants, assuming Sasuke wouldn't miss them since they were pushed to the very back of his drawers. They fit nicely and the fox prince guessed that they were pushed back because they were too small for Sasuke.

Naruto let out a squeak as he pulled on the pants and found that there was to means for his tail to escape out the other end. Unlike the feline Analixes, he didn't have a thin tail that he could just slip into his tail if he wanted; he had a plush, fluffy golden tail that wouldn't fit in those skinny pants even if he tried!

Naruto grumbled as he extended his claw and ripped out a hole in the back of the pants, sighing contentedly when his tail popped through it, and he swished it happily.

The blonde looked to the door, whining a bit.

Why would Sasuke bring him the food to hunt in his room? They should be outside.

Naruto sighed and decided to snoop around Sasuke's room.

He looked under the bed and found it empty, his desk containing a few rolls of parchment and some legal documents, and only one picture in his room to which Naruto suspected was that of his family.

He was about to give up and take a nap when he spotted a lump under Sasuke's pillow and literally pounced on it.

Naruto reached under the pillow, his sapphire eyes gleaming when he felt his hands grip and object, and he pulled it out.

"A journal?" he thought aloud. He flipped it open, thankful that he had been taught the language of humans writing wise as well as speaking wise.

Naruto flipped to the recent entry to find it dated yesterday, and he pouted. Sasuke must have been writing these entries at night…

Naruto's ears perked as he heard footsteps about twenty meters from the door. After shoving the diary back under Sasuke's pillow, he changed back into a golden fox kit.

Sasuke's head poked into the room.

"Hope you're hungry dobe."

* * *

Sasuke's eye twitched as the golden fox walked over to the filet mignon by his left.

Sasuke, being the prince that he was, had brought up over twenty of the finest dishes in the castle for the fox. Fifteen minutes later said dishes still surrounded the fox in a circle on the floor, completely untouched.

Naruto sniffed the delicate strip of steak before him.

"_Bleck!"_ Naruto said, which came out as a growl as he swatted the plate in front of him.

Sasuke threw up his hands and fell back flat onto the floor in exasperation.

"I know you're hungry, so why won't you eat!?" Sasuke said none too quietly, groaning and placing his hands over his face

"_How about serving me stuff that I earned to eat?"_ Naruto barked. _"Something that isn't already dead!"_

Sasuke didn't reply to the yip, and Naruto jumped onto the brunette's stomach.

Sasuke removed his hands, letting them plop to his sides, and stared the little fox.

"What?" he said lamely.

Naruto tapped Sasuke's nose with his paw, and Sasuke felt himself smile a bit. No human with a heart could ignore the tiny red kitsune with sapphire eyes and ears too big for its head sitting on his chest.

Sasuke reached up and stroked the kit's ears silky to the touch, and it purred appreciatively.

Sasuke stopped when the fox perked its ears and suddenly dove under the prince's bed.

"Hey!" Sasuke said, scrambling to the underside of his bed when the door opened.

Sasuke glared at the person who had entered, who was unfortunately Kakashi.

"Ok," Kakashi sighed, shutting the door and locking it. He sat down on the floor and looked Sasuke in the eye.

"Where is it?"

"Huh?" Sasuke said stupidly.

"The 'pet' you dragged in," Kakashi said, crossing his arms.

"……"

"C'mon Sasuke, I know you brought in an animal. Why else would you want so much food sent up? You barely have an appetite, and I _know_ you weren't just yelling at yourself."

Sasuke sighed.

"Fine," he said stiffly.

He reached out under the bed.

"C'mon," Sasuke said to Naruto, who was backed up in a corner and growling.

Kakashi poked his head under.

"Aawwwwwwww!" he said, unable to suppress a girly squeal at the adorable little fox.

Naruto snarled and his growling intensified.

Sasuke smirked.

"He's the smartest fox I've ever seen," he said. "You're gonna think this is stupid…but I think…I think it can understand us."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and looked at the kit again. His expression lit up when he focused more on Naruto.

"I believe you," Kakashi said.

"Y-you do?" Sasuke said, bewildered.

Kakashi nodded.

"_Sasuke-sama! Your presence is requested in the throne room!"_ a voice from the door said, and Sasuke growled.

"Go ahead, I'll get him," Kakashi said.

"Don't. Hurt. Him," Sasuke bit out, his glaring practically setting Kakashi's hair on fire.

Kakashi let out the breath he was holding when he heard Sasuke descend the stairs.

"C'mon out," Kakashi said, extending his arm.

Naruto snapped at Kakashi's hand, and the white-haired man pulled it back quickly.

"Fine. Have it your way," Kakashi said, pulling out from under the bed and standing up.

"I know what you are, _Analiax._"

* * *

**:0**

**Naru's been discovered! Will Kakashi send the prince to his death or manage to keep it under wraps???**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune**

**Translated by Gomi-kun**

**Kyu-kyu!**


	4. GASP!

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

* * *

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Wow, I've been gone a while, ne?**

* * *

**Reviewer Replies:**

**To shadowphoenix143: Thanks! The evil plot bunnies made me post this…O.o**

**To Belovedly Loveless: Sorry for the wait!**

**To 5DOOD: Wait no longer! Here you are!**

**To lightdark54: Ah yes, Naru is always adorable as a fox! X3**

**To Chronos guardian: Yep, just Kakashi, but will it be Naruto's downfall?! XO**

**To SangoStar: Yes, every time Naru has his fox ears and tail you can't help but let out a fangirl squeal! XD**

**To ichigo14: Don't worry, I'm not that cruel of an authoress to let Naru die….or am I I!? –evil laughter--**

**Chapter Four: GASP!**

**--**

The room was quiet for a moment before Kakashi saw a tiny black nose stick out, and the fox walked cautiously out from under the bed.

Kakashi watched in fascination as a golden light surrounded the fox, and in its place stood the heartthrob Uzumaki.

"So…are you going to kill me?" Naruto said, his tail swishing nervously and his limbs ready to lunge for the window.

Naruto pulled back his ears in surprise as Kakashi let out an inhuman squeal and rushed toward Naruto.

"I can't believe it! I was right! Tell me, you're a mammal, correct? How do you transform? What's your blood type? Do your kind have a double multiple cell respiration process that enables you to heal so quickly? Claws! Interesting, how long does it take for them to grow out and are they retractable??"

Naruto blinked as Kakashi lifted up his tan arms, flexed his clawed fingers, flicked his nose and watched the white-haired man gasp at his response of crinkling it, his eyes wide as the prince's ears twitched and his tail flicked.

"Wha…I…huh!?" Naruto said, flabbergasted.

"Oh, forgive me," Kakashi said, composing himself once more. "I'm Kakashi Hatake, Sasuke's mentor and a long time studier of Analiax."

Naruto blinked.

"So…you're not going to kill me?" he said, and raised an eyebrow when the white-haired man laughed.

"Heavens no dear boy!" he said. "On the contrary, I'd like to study you if you don't mind."

"I'm not a freaking experiment!" Naruto cried, flailing his arms around. He gasped when Kakashi tugged one down in midair and flipped out a pair of glasses, placing them on the tip of his nose.

"Interesting…" he said, examining Naruto's utterly tan skin through his spectacles. "Your skin is flawless and yet it appears to be made up of the same cells and compounds as human skin."

Naruto snatched his arm back and growled.

"Sorry, sorry," Kakashi said, chuckling. "I used to have an Analiax friend when I was younger and he did the same thing when I tried to study his behaviour."

"You…knew an Analiax?" Naruto asked, his interest sparked.

"Hai. He was my best friend. He was a mutt breed of Analiax on the run. I'm not sure of whether or not you know him, but his name was Iruka."

"Iruka? Iruka Umino? He's my sensei!"

"Iruka is still around? Really? God it's been ten years! And he's your teacher?"

Naruto nodded.

"He lives in the palace even though he's not roya-"

"The palace? Wait, how do you know all of this if he's in the palace?"

"Oh uh…" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the prince of the Analiax kingdom."

Kakashi's eyeballs practically fell out of his head.

"The prince? You mean, the next chosen bloodline, not…Kyuubi's?"

"Actually, I'm the last of the Kyuubi bloodline."

Kakashi froze.

He blinked.

And then he blinked some more.

And then he-

"OH MY GOD!!"

…spazzed.

"You have the Kyuubi bloodline!? You're actually alive!? This is incredible! A once in a lifetime opportunity! Oh please, PLEASE let me study you! Please please please your highness!?"

Naruto slapped a hand over Kakashi's mouth.

"Shuddup!" he hissed. "Geez, do you WANT someone to find me and skin me alive?"

Kakashi shook his head vigorously and Naruto sighed.

"Look, I'll make you a deal, ok? I'll let you study me if you keep quiet and don't tell Sasuke about this, and help me when I need it, got it?"

Kakashi nodded and Naruto removed his hand.

"First off, I'm starving! Tell Sasuke to take me outside so that I can hunt!"

"Iruka told me about this when we were younger. Apparently you only eat what you hunt and kill yourself?"

Naruto nodded.

"It's a waste the way you humans kill things and save them, and then they go bad later! We only kill what we currently need and store things for maybe only one day. And anyways, it doesn't feel as though we deserve something if we didn't work for it. This has been going on in the Analiax race for thousands of years."

"Alright. I'll tel-"

Kakashi turned as the door opened and Sasuke came back in, muttering incoherent words under his breath.

"T-that was fast!" Kakashi said. He flicked his eyes to Naruto and was thankful when he saw a tiny fox sitting on Sasuke's bed instead of a demon prince.

"You got him out of the bed?" Sasuke said as he walked up to Naruto, a bit impressed.

"I have a way with animals," Kakashi said, shrugging, and Naruto narrowed his sapphire eyes to him.

The fox climbed into Sasuke's lap when the raven sat on the bed, and whined as he rolled over and revealed his tiny pink rumbling tummy.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but couldn't help letting a small smile graze his lips.

"He won't eat anything," he said. "Wait…is it even a he?"

Naruto's eyes grew wide and he covered his tail over his lower half.

"Yes! Yes, it's a he, no need to check!" Kakashi said quickly. "Only a male would have such a temper as it did when I tried to get it to come out."

Naruto bared his teeth at Kakashi.

"And I have a suggestion," Kakashi said. "You forget that this fox is a wild animal. It's not used to cooked and already prepared food. Why not take it outside and let it hunt?"

"It shredded its leg on a trap," Sasuke said, pointing to Naruto's leg as he absentmindedly scratched the demon's tummy.

Naruto melted under Sasuke's magic fingers, completely forgetting that he was allowing a human to scratch him.

"I'm sure it can still run a bit," Kakashi said.

Sasuke shrugged.

* * *

Naruto breathed in deeply as the scent of the night wafted to his nose, reaching him from even underneath Sasuke's cloak.

Naruto risked too much by being seen in daylight even though he was just a fox, for Sasuke's brother was always suspicious of Analiaxes. So the trio had had to wait until nightfall to take Naruto out to hunt. (Naruto whined constantly to Sasuke all the while.)

Naruto didn't flinch as he felt Sasuke's warm hands wrap around his tiny body and lift him from the cloak. He shivered and rubbed up against Sasuke's chest as the chilly night air rippled his fur.

Sasuke felt his eyes soften as the golden fox kit nuzzled against him for warmth.

Kakashi chuckled.

"Getting attached to the fox so quickly?" he said.

"Hn," Sasuke said, giving him a glare.

"By the way, what are you going to name it?"

"Eh?"

"Well the fox is staying at the castle until he's healed, correct? You can't very well call him 'it' all the time."

"Sure I ca-ow!"

Sasuke glared down at the kit in his arms as it nipped his hand as if to protest.

"You're too smart for your own good," Sasuke grumbled, and he swore that he saw the fox smirk.

"Come now Sasuke. Just give it a name," Kakashi said.

"How about Dobe? It suits him."

Sasuke moved his hand away this time so that the fox couldn't bite him, and instead it settled for growling.

"I don't think so…" Kakashi said, sweat dropping. Naruto wasn't even in his Analiax form and he was already fighting with Sasuke!

"Fine genius. You have something better in mind?" Sasuke scoffed.

"How about Naruto?"

"Naruto? Why would I name it after something you find in ramen?"

Naruto tilted his head to one side.

"_Ramen? What's ramen?"_ he thought.

"He just looks like a Naruto," Kakashi said, shrugging.

Sasuke lifted up the fox so that he was nose to nose with it.

"Does that name fit your standards _your highness_?" Sasuke said mockingly, and Kakashi almost laughed out loud at the irony.

A tiny pink tongue darted out and licked Sasuke's nose.

Sasuke crinkled his nose from the foreign feeling.

"I'll take that as a yes," Sasuke said. "Ok Naruto. You can go hunt, but make sure you come back in a half an hour. I'll be waiting here."

"Aww Sasuke, do you actually _care_ about something other than yourself?" Kakashi cooed, receiving a glare known to crack mountains from the young raven prince.

"If Itachi catches me with a fox he'll kill me. Literally."

"Then why don't I accompany Naruto on his hunt and keep an eye on him?"

Sasuke paused, then nodded.

He kneeled down, hovering Naruto's paws above the ground. He was almost positive the fox would zip off and never be seen again as soon as he let it go.

Sasuke sighed and placed Naruto down. He raised an eyebrow when Naruto looked back at him and instead of sprinting like a maniac, calmly limped forward with Kakashi close behind.

* * *

Naruto heaved a sigh as he regained his regular half demon form.

"Ok, you can leave now," he said to Kakashi.

He turned around when he heard no response, and looked down to see the white-haired man on his knees with his hands clasped together in front of him, his eyes wide and glassy.

"Pleeease let me accompany you on your hunt!" he whined. "Please, please, pleeeease!"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Even with my injury, your speed doesn't even match half of mine," he said. "You'd be left behind in a second."

Kakashi's eyes became bigger, if that was even possible…

Naruto pouted.

"Oh, fine."

"Arigatou Naruto-sama!" Kakashi said, regaining his composure. "So what's the tradition for-"

"The tradition," Naruto cut him off, his ears flat against his head. "Is to stay quiet, keep up, and not interrupt."

Kakashi blinked at the blond's rough, almost growled tone.

"Naruto, are you feeling alright?" he said. "You don't strike me as one to snap so quickly."

"I haven't eaten in almost three days. If I don't eat then my animal instinct will take over and I'll kill and eat the first thing I see, no matter what it is."

Kakashi pulled out a notepad from his back pocket and scribbled fervently on it.

"Interesting…how do you-"

Kakashi looked up to see Naruto already walking ahead of him in his larger, but not huge fox form.

"Matte! Naruto-sama!"

* * *

Naruto crouched down low under the brush, his shoulder blades rising as he bent his head and his pupils dilated.

A low, almost undetectable growl rolled in his throat, and he dug his black claws into the dirt beneath him.

He backed up his left leg and brought his body closer to the ground, ready to leap forwa-

"Amazing!"

Naruto's ears perked as the hare in front of him zipped off, and Naruto jumped after. He shot over brush and under fallen branches before making a leap of faith-

"Naruto-sama!"

…and just missing the rabbit as the noise threw his focus off.

Naruto returned to his half demon form, curling his fists together.

"Ah, I've finally caught up with you Naruto-sama!" Kakashi said as he reached Naruto's side, scribbling away. "Sorry for the outburst. Did you get that hare? That was quite a-" Kakshi stopped as he suddenly found himself pinned to the ground, Naruto's eyes flashing a crimson red, his pupils black and almost slit-like.

"Need I remind you that I _will_ kill whatever I can get my claws on if I don't eat something in the next hour?" he snarled, digging his claws into Kakashi's shoulders. His canines spilled over his lips, glinting in the moonlight as he snarled.

Kakashi winced, but nodded nonetheless, and Naruto zipped off in his larger fox form.

* * *

Sasuke pulled his cloak more tightly around himself as the wind picked up, and he turned his gaze up at the moon.

"It's been an hour…" he griped quietly. He wouldn't admit it, but he was starting to fear for the fox kit, despite Kakashi being with it.

Sasuke jumped a bit when said person walked out of the forest, several twigs in his white hair and his shoulders bleeding.

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes.

"What'd you do?" he said.

"Naruto is quite a handful," Kakashi said, shaking the twigs out of his hair.

"Where is he?"

"Somewhere in the forest."

Sasuke looked at Kakashi darkly.

"You lost him?"

"_I_ didn't loose him, _he_ ditched me."

Sasuke glared as he ran into the forest, a thousand horrible images of what could have happened to the kit sweeping through his mind.

"Naruto!" he called as he pushed aside branches and hopped over fallen logs. As he reached the heart of the forest he saw tiny red paw prints on the ground, and followed them quickly, praying the fox wasn't hurt.

His fear was dispelled when he found Naruto lying by a bush next to what he supposed used to be a rabbit, blood skewed over the ground by the picked clean carcass and dappling the kit's muzzle and paws. The fox was licking his paws, cleaning them when it looked up at Sasuke.

Sasuke crossed his arms and looked expectantly at the fox.

"_What? You said to come back in half an hour and it's only…"_ Naruto looked up at the moon high above him and his ears pulled back. _"…oops."_

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as the kit seems to ponder for a moment, then pulled back his ears and looked at Sasuke with big, glassy eyes.

"Hn. That would work better if you didn't have blood all over your muzzle."

* * *

Sasuke sighed as he sat on his bed.

Naruto lay on the ground, the blood from his muzzle and paws gone as he groomed his golden fur, fanning out his tail with his paw.

Sasuke laid on his stomach on his bed, splayed out as the watched the fox.

Naruto licked his paw a few times before running it over his large ears. Sasuke had to admit that it was a very clean creature.

Naruto's ears suddenly perked and he dashed under the bed as the door opened and Kakashi walked in.

Naruto recognized his scent and walked back out, resuming his grooming.

"Your brother wants to see you," Kakashi said. "He said that it shouldn't take long."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Keep an eye on Naruto," he said before dragging himself out the door.

Kakashi didn't finch as Naruto changed into his handsome half demon form and continued his cleaning.

He ran a clawed hand through his tail, messy from running around, and shook out his tangled hair.

He cursed and lifted his leg to scratch behind his ear as if her were still in his fox form.

"Naruto-sama," Kakashi said quietly, and Naruto looked up.

"I'm sorry for bothering you so much back there…I'm just so excited to have the chance to study you."

Naruto smiled gently as his eyes scanned over Kakashi's newly bandaged shoulders.

"I'm sorry too," he said. "I couldn't really control myself. So I guess we're both even."

Kakashi grinned and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Naruto sighed loudly as he lifted himself to all fours and shook out his body, dirt flying from his hair and tail.

"That stupid rabbit dragged me through the entire forest. I couldn't keep up as well with my injury," he said. He sighed again. "It'll take me three days to get my fur untangled…"

Kakashi tapped a finger to his chin, then went to the bathroom as a light bulb went off in his head.

He returned with a brush and held it out to Naruto.

"This might help," he said.

Naruto looked at him like he had fire spurting from his ears.

"What is that?"

Kakashi was taken aback.

"A brush...humans use them to groom their hair. Don't Analiax use these? Your hair looked perfect when I first met you, so surely you used a brush?"

Naruto shook his head.

"We groom ourselves using our claws, plants, and the river. Normally I'd jump into the hot springs to be rid of these tangles, but that isn't possible."

"Come here," Kakashi said.

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to eat you."

Naruto pouted and slowly walked over to the white-haired man.

* * *

**Naruto meets the brush…what will happen!? What does Itachi want to talk to his brother about? All revealed in the next chapter!  
**

****

Sky-eyed Kitsune

**  
Translated by Gomi-kun**


	5. Secrets and Snuggles?

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Hehe, fast update! :D**

--

**Reviewer Replies**

**To drarythoughts: Thanks! And yes, I do plan on some kakairu! I'm not sure about Gaara and Neji, but there will definatley be kakairu!**

**To ****SyaoranDazzleChic1****: Arigatou!! :D**

**To Darksouled Saiyanpohenix: Un, Naru is always so cute as a fox!**

**To ichigo14: Thanks much! Yea, Kakashi is weird, but I love him that way, lol.**

**To The Only love for Soujiro Seta: Yes, evil bubbles…O.o**

**To Chronos Guardian: Lol, don't worry, he'll slip back into his pervert state when he sees Iruka again.**

**To dragonfire04: Thanks much!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Secrets and...Snuggles?**

--

A look of displeasure was securely plastered on Sasuke's handsome face as he entered his brother's private study. He made no sound as he strode in, but his irritated aura seemed to bounce off the walls and reach Itachi's ears, and he turned as his younger brother entered the room.

He shut the book he was skimming over and settled himself into the royal blue armchair he was previously leaning against.

"Impatient, Sasuke?" he said, not the slightest hint of emotion in his voice, but Sasuke could tell from the amused glint in his brother's eyes that he was mocking him.

"What do you want?" Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

Itachi's eyes grew darker and more serious.

"A spy has been confirmed in the kingdom from the Analiax."

Sasuke's mind was swiped blank at that moment, and he listened to his brother with just enough interest to spur him to proceed.

Itachi's eyes flicked to the large mahogany back doors of the study.

"Bring it in," he said, and the doors were slammed open. Two guards stepped in, both holding whips and the iron leash of what looked like a large…

"_Snow leopard?"_ Sasuke thought. _"We don't even __**have**__ those species in this part of the country."_

Sasuke stepped back a bit as the leopard roared and thrashed against its rough, black metal collar. It was badly wounded, blood staining its fur a deep crimson red and a muzzle was secured over its mouth to keep it from biting.

The bright pink eyes of the leopard met Sasuke's, white canines bared ruthlessly, and something in Sasuke's mind suddenly clicked.

"_Is that…an Analiax!?"_

"Sasuke," Itachi said, regaining his brother's attention. "You are of the same age that I was when father gave me my first real look at an Analiax. It's your turn now."

Sasuke eyed the frenzied creature.

"How can you prove it's an Analiax?" he asked slowly, and Itachi's eyes glittered dangerously.

"The Analiax from what we have observed have two forms. One is that of a half demon, and the other as a full one. This Analiax here is in its full form. It isn't known whether or not there are more forms they can take on."

Itachi smiled sadistically.

"There are two ways to tell if it's an Analiax. One is to make them weak enough so that they revert back to their half demon selves."

Itachi nodded to the guards, and Sasuke visibly cringed as the two whips held between brass knuckes were raised and lashed against silky white and black fur.

The leopard roared and swiped, but the whips continued cracking, leaving blood in their wake.

Sasuke shifted his bangs over his eyes. He couldn't stand to look. Even if this thing was a supposed demon…something still didn't feel right about beating it so senselessly.

Sasuke looked up as a red light suddenly surround the leopard, and it collapsed to the floor as a half demon. The guards rushed forward and tied its black clawed hands behind its back, not bothering to pick it up from the floor.

The demon was young, in his early twenties. His skin was as pale and smooth as the snow, black markings evenly spaced over it like the speckled strokes on his fur. His hair was long and completely ashen, tied back into a braid that reached down to his waist, with dappled cat ears drooping atop his tresses. His body was defined, sharp shoulder blades molded into his back like strong mountains and his chest toned with the rifts and dips his muscles made in the pale flesh. From his covered backside a long white and black tail protruded, limp and lying beside his body. And, staring right back at Sasuke, were those bright yellow defiant eyes, white canines slipping over the man's soft pastel lips.

He was a beautiful creature, almost like an animal god incarnated. Sasuke had heard rumors that the Analiax were among the most stunning creatures on the planet, and now had no doubt of it.

Itachi smiled at his brother's bewilderment.

"Another way to tell," he continued, "is that an Analiax carries an imprinted symbol of their species somewhere on their body."

Itachi walked forward to the exhausted man and pulled him up to his knees. He gripped his milky chin harshly, forcing the man's head to turn, and Sasuke saw the entwined crescent moon symbol imprinted in silver on the man's lower chin.

Itachi's eyes combed over the man's body hungrily, his snowy chest covered with nothing, his shirt ripped to shreds by the whips.

The white-haired man shut its eyes tightly as Itachi leaned down and ran his tongue over his Analiax symbol, and Sasuke cringed again, this time managing not to let it show as much.

"A long time ago Analiax were kept by humans," Itachi said, standing back up. "They were tamed and confined, used as servants, pets, and lovers. We no longer do that because we are missing one very important thing: Tamer's stone. A collar made from Tamer's stone can bind the Analiax to a master and bend them to human will. It is also the only stone forged with iron that can kill them. Our regular swords may cut through them, but the Analiax have healing powers that will mend their wounds quickly. But they don't work on Tamer's stone."

Itachi grinned, and Sasuke felt his spine shiver.

"But _now,_ we can reinitiate this process."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Miners on the east side of Konoha have found a large quarry of Tamer's stone once blocked by a formation of boulders too heavy for any human to move. This was one of the first battle sites between the humans and Analiaxes, and the fighting waged there seemed to have been enough to loosen it for us to move."

Itachi fished into his pocket and pulled out a small black pebble. He threw it to Sasuke.

Sasuke turned it over between his fingers, feeling the smooth black perfection of the stone. It shone like black onyx, but in the light Sasuke could just barely make out the strokes of deep scarlet that licked along it like blood.

He raised a skeptical black eyebrow.

"You expect me to believe that this--" he held up the stone. "—can kill that?" he motioned to the Analiax.

"I don't expect you to _believe _anything," Itachi said, catching the stone as his brother threw it back to him. "I expect you _accept_ what I tell you."

Sasuke shifted his eyes to the Analiax who had lifted himself to his feet, each of his restrained arms held by a guard. Blood trickled down from its lips, dripping into a small puddle on the light marble floor. The creatures face revealed nothing. No pain, no sorrow—nothing but defiance in its rawest form.

Sasuke admired how the demon could be so bold in an inarguably hopeless situation.

"Here."

Sasuke looked back at his brother who was holding out a sword to him. It was forged with Tamer's stone and iron, red rubies adorning the hilt and the blade a pure black and red.

Sasuke carefully took the sword and ran two fingers up the blade.

"Just to show you how the stone works, dear little brother…" Itachi reached into his other pocket and pulled out a gleaming black collar made of Tamer's stone. "I had this made."

Itachi stood in front of the Analiax who had lowered its head, and now lifted it. Its bright golden eyes widened, and it struggled. The guards grunted and held on more tightly as the young demon lashed its tails and hissed at Itachi.

Itachi smirked and he quickly placed the collar over the Analiax.

It howled and dropped to its knees, a black light surrounding the collar. Sasuke felt his stomach curl as he watched the collar meld into the screaming Analiax's pale skin. The metal of the collar disappeared under the ashen skin, leaving the black Tamer's stone half embedded and visible.

As the light suddenly broke in a small detonation, the demon dropped to its knees, panting as its neck bled profusely. It spat some words in a dialect that Sasuke couldn't understand and coughed more blood.

"Up," Itachi commanded it.

The Analiax growled and stayed down, and black and red entwined sparks suddenly flew from it collar, engulfing its body. The creature wailed in agony, its claws digging into the tile underneath it, until it was forcibly stood up by the collar and faced Itachi.

Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw the tear streaks that fell down the creature's pale cheeks and pattered to the floor, mixing with its blood.

They could cry? The demons could…cry?

Itachi smirked.

"That proof enough for you little brother?" he said, drinking in Sasuke's surprise.

Sasuke slowly nodded, then looked down to his new sword.

"Use it if you happen to run into an Analiax," Itachi explained.

The demon suddenly lifted its eyes to the sword, and its tail lashed out and whipped it from Sasuke's hand. The sword flew back and rammed into the wall by its hilt. The demon quickly broke from the guards, hands still bound.

Before Itachi even had time to command it, the man swiftly turned and impaled himself on the sword from his back through his chest.

Sasuke's eyes widened as the blade ripped through the demon's pale and beautiful skin, blood splattering to the floor as it let out a silent scream.

The demon stiffened on the blade before going limp, held up solely by the sword through its body.

Itachi sighed.

"Pity," he said. He walked toward the dead demon, and Sasuke bit his lip in disgust as his brother licked a patch of blood that had splattered onto the demon's cheek.

"I was so hoping to make him a lover," he finished. He placed his hands behind his back and faced Sasuke once more.

"Why did it-"

"Kill itself?" Itachi finished his brother's sentence. He chuckled and his face set into a subtle sneer as he watched the two guards pull the demon from Sasuke's sword, blood spilling and soaking into their uniforms.

"They're too full of pride," he said. "The Analiax's spirits are wild and free, held down by no man. They would rather die than serve under a human."

Itachi pulled the bloody sword from the wall and handed it to a guard.

"Have that cleaned up for Sasuke by tomorrow," he said, and the guard bowed. "Oh, and one more thing…" Itachi swiped the sword back, and with an animalistic rip sliced off the snow leopard's tail.

"Analiax fur sells for a very high price. Skin this and sell it. It'll make a nice scarf," Itachi said, giving the guard the tail and the sword.

The two bowed and left the room with the dead body.

Itachi faced his brother again.

"Tamer stone swords will be produced once more, and collars shall be sold in the marketplace for high prices," he said. "Keep your eyes open, little brother. Analiaxes are clever."

Sasuke slowly bowed as Itachi shooed him away, his face one shade paler and onyx eyes glazed over in thought.

* * *

Naruto groaned and shifted into the brush that Kakashi moved through his hair. The bristles combed through the tangles in Naruto's hair swiftly and painlessly, and to Naruto it felt almost as good as when Sasuke scratched his belly.

Kakashi chuckled as Naruto whined in pleasure and shifted Kakashi's hand so that he was brushing his tail now.

"Feels good huh?" Kakashi said.

"Nnnnnn," Naruto moaned. His nose suddenly twitched and he shifted back into his tiny fox form as the door handle jiggled.

Kakashi looked up as Sasuke strode in, resting his back against the door and sighing.

"Sasuke-sama, are you ok?" he said, standing up. "You look pale…"

Sasuke shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's nothing." He straightened himself up. "I'm just tired."

"Oh…well then, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow."

With that Kakashi bowed, once to Sasuke and once to Naruto, (Sasuek rose an eyebrow) and exited the room, but not before adding, "By the way Sasuke-sama, you're fox loves to be brushed."

Sasuke walked forward and locked his door as it closed, sighing again.

He let himself unceremoniously flop down onto his bed, his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes.

Naruto made a leap onto the bed, and climbed onto Sasuke's chest. He sat down and looked, really looked, at Sasuke's face for the first time.

Naruto really hated to admit it, but this human was absolutely beautiful. His face was pale and beautiful like the lilies he loved to play with when he was just a kit, dark black lashes nestling above them in a moment of repose. His lips were the lightest, softest shade of scarlet brushed over with velvet.

Naruto had the sudden urge to touch those lips...huh!?

He shook his head to rid his mind of the foolish thoughts.

Sasuke meanwhile opened one eye to examine the fox that looked at him thoughtfully before shaking its head. He scanned over its sun splashed fur and white tipped tail. Its crystal eyes seemed concentrated, as if thinking deeply.

Sasuke sighed and reached a hand up, patting the kit lightly on the head.

Naruto returned his gaze to Sasuke, and purred when his magic fingertips scratched behind his large ears.

Sasuke smiled a bit. It seemed that the little fox could make him forget all his troubles.

Naruto opened his mouth wide and let out a colossal yawn, his tiny but sharp canines glistening.

"Time for bed," Sasuke said. He took Naruto off of his chest and placed him on the bed as he himself stood up.

Naruto felt a blush stain his tiny fox cheeks as Sasuke removed his shirt, revealing the smooth pale chest underneath, firmed and slightly toned from years of training.

Naruto shifted on his paws as Sasuke undid the buckle at the hem of his pants and let them fall, revealing black silk boxers. Naruto fanned his tail as he felt his fur grow hot.

"_Nonono! I am NOT getting aroused by a human! T-that's not right!"_

Naruto was jarred from his thoughts as the bed suddenly dipped and Sasuke slipped under the covers. In the moonlight that spilled in through the window above, Sasuke's hair seemed to be caught in an ethereal glow that spilled over his ashen chest and caressed the sides of his pallid cheeks.

Naruto let out an abrupt yelp as he was suddenly pushed off the bed and landed on the floor with a plunk.

"Hn," Sasuke said, smirking down at him. "You sleep down there, dobe."

Naruto looked back up huffily, his cheeks puffing as he glared at Sasuke until he was sure the blanket would catch on fire.

He yipped and whined, the cold wooden planks beneath him feeling anything but inviting to sleep on.

"_Sasukeeeeeee!"_ he whined pitifully.

"No dobe," Sasuke said, turning so that his back faced the kit.

Naruto pouted and curled up on the floor, shivering a bit. He wrapped his tail around his body, covering his face, but it held little warmth. The spring frosts that came through the night always made everything seem colder, and this was no exception.

Sure he had slept on the floor during the summer when he found his blankets hot and clinging to his body, but he knew those floors. They weren't soft or inviting, but he knew them. These floors were unfamiliar and smelled of human, a scent that always made his nose twitch uncomfortably.

Truth be told, Naruto Uzumaki, Prince of the Analiax kingdom, was _scared._ He was scared of the humans that would kill him, scared of the foreign objects he saw around him…just plain **scared**.

Sasuke turned back over and peered down at the fox when he heard no whining for about ten minutes, and saw the little kit curled up as tightly as physically possible, quivering. Whether it was shaking from the cold or from fear, Sasuke couldn't tell. He felt a sting of guilt hit square in his chest for making the little creature sleep on the floor, and he sighed.

"_I'm getting too soft…"_ he thought tiredly.

"Naruto."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow when the kit didn't respond. The fox was smart, and Sasuke knew that it was aware of its new name.

"Naruto," Sasuke said a bit more loudly, and the kit raised its head, one ear drooping slightly.

"Come on, you can sleep up here."

Naruto let out what sounded to Sasuke like a snort and returned to his cold slumber.

"_Oh, so __**now**__ it's ok for me to be on the bed? Pfft."_

The room was still for a moment, when suddenly the floor creaked and Naruto found himself being swooped up and plunked onto the bed.

Sasuke smirked down at him.

"Goodnight," he said, wrapping the covers around his body and turning around so that his back faced the fox.

Naruto crinkled his nose in anger, but then sighed and curled up on the covers, feeling a bit safer.

* * *

Naruto opened one eye groggily, the room fuzzy from sleep.

He picked up the faint chirping of crickets from outside the window and knew that it was still nighttime—very late in fact. Naruto turned over, his body feeling cramped from his position. He growled and laid on his back a moment later like road-kill, but the constricting feeling didn't disappear. He thought it was just night cramps from his sleeping position, and narrowed his eyes in frustration when he realized what it really was.

Naruto couldn't stay in that little fox form forever. His body needed to flex and stretch in his original form, especially when sleeping, or he wouldn't be able to turn into his small form at all the next day.

The blond looked over to Sasuke, now on his back, his raven locks splayed around his face and spilling onto the pillow. His arms were spread out as if carelessly flopped onto the sheets, the navy covers atop him spilling down his chest and revealing an expanse of luminous pale skin. His breathing was slow and steady, his firm chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm that indicated to Naruto exactly how deep a sleep he was in.

Praying to god that the human wouldn't wake, Naruto changed back into his regular half demon half human form. He stood lightly so as not to make the floor creak, and got down on all fours and stretched like a cat, fanning out his golden tail and pressing his ears back against his head. (He winced a bit as his ankle was strained.) The blond yawned, revealing shining white canines in the moonlight filtering through the window.

Naruto took off the shirt he had borrowed from Sasuke and the black pants, and shoved them under the bed, leaving him in a pair of boxers.

He gave his arms a few shakes to loosen them and, feeling much better, crawled back onto the bed where Sasuke hadn't stirred.

But Naruto didn't change back. If he did he would just get stiff again. He knew that he was pushing his luck, but what could it hurt to sleep the night through like normal? As long as he woke up before the Uchiha and changed back into a fox, what difference did it make?

Naruto slipped under the covers gently, wrapping his tail around himself in an attempt to make the bed feel more like his own at home that he missed so dearly. He clutched his shoulders as if hugging himself and curled up a bit.

He was still afraid of the new environment around him, and wish he had something to hug while he slept. Yes, Naruto was a snuggler when it came to sleeping, which was why every morning Iruka found him clutching a pillow or the blankets, cuddling into them.

Naruto suddenly gasped a bit as Sasuke turned over to face him, the raven's arm in turn flopping over his middle.

Naruto held his breath, the contact of Sasuke's skin against his own for the first time making his pupils dilate and breath quiver slightly. He closed his eyes as he felt Sasuke's warmth meander up his arm and send out a wave of heat to the rest of his body, making him felt lightheaded…but in a good way.

Sasuke, seeming to like the soft skin he felt, pulled Naruto flush against his chest. Naruto let out a loud squeak, and his eyes widened and he slapped a hand over his mouth.

"_Oh shit, that was loud!"_ he thought.

Sasuke groaned and opened both eyes, bringing them to rest on the blond he was cuddling, and Naruto felt all the color drain from his face as his ears pulled back.

Naruto waited for the yell, the shove, the curses, and was ready to jump out the window. But Sasuke didn't do any of those. He just looked at the demon through half-lidded, cloudy onyx eyes.

Naruto stiffened as Sasuke reached out a hand and rested it on his cheek, stroking his whisker marks with his thumbs. The blond felt his eyes suddenly close as if a heavy weight was suddenly on them, and that wonderful, magnificent warmth swelled through his whole being once more.

He forced his eyes open when his brain informed him that he wasn't out of the danger zone yet, and he studied Sasuke warily.

The blond took in a sharp inhale of breath as Sasuke's face suddenly moved closer to his own, and before he knew what was going on, he felt two dry but soft pair of lips brush against his own, then press down gently.

Naruto's ears pulled back and his whole body internally exploded, and then collapsed into an inconceivable moment of repose. The touch was soft, gentle, like a wisp of wind against his skin. He scrunched his eyes as he felt the demon markings over his navel scorch as if on fire, but the feeling was overpowered immediately by the sensation of Sasuke caressing his lips in soft devotion. And, just like that, the feeling fled as the raven pulled away.

"Cute…" he murmured, running a hand over Naruto's right ear, before falling back to the pillow and pulling the blond close against him once more.

"_He…he was sleeping!?"_ Naruto thought in exasperation, almost fainting from relief and...disappointment? Was it because he wanted Sasuke to see him as more than a fox?

Naruto shut his eyes tightly.

No, that human didn't mean anything to him. He was just another murderer to his clan. And yet…the raven seemed somewhat different; in what way, Naruto couldn't tell, but he felt it in his gut. Speaking of which…

Naruto looked down at his stomach to find his seal pulsing red. He didn't feel the searing pain as he did before, and yet it glowed and throbbed as if bleeding.

"_Maybe Kakashi will know what's wrong with me,"_ he thought idly. He looked back up a bit at Sasuke who held him close, and ran a finger gently from his cheek to the base of his neck. Sasuke shivered a bit at the feather light touch and pulled the blond closer.

Naruto cautiously placed his arms around Sasuke's chest, before fully embracing and snuggling into it, burying his face in the pale skin there.

Sasuke smelled like the first snowfall Naruto had ever witnessed, fresh, light, and soothing.

"_I'm cuddling with a human…"_ Naruto chuckled to himself. He moved his tail to wrap around Sasuke and himself, feeling warmer than he ever had before, and actually safe. Sasuke hummed and buried his face in Naruto's golden locks, enjoying the feeling of the fox's tail over his bare skin.

"_Maybe…"_ Naruto thought sleepily, his eyelids falling quickly. _"Maybe this isn't so bad…"_

**Oh teh noes!! Tamer's stone!? Snuggling with a human!? Wah!**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune**

**Translated by GOmi-kun**

* * *


	6. Fishing for Truth

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None! **

* * *

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: This chapter is both happy and sad. Sorry!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Fishing for Truth**

--

Iruka burst into the prince's room, the moonlight spilling in from the windows above. His face turned an even brighter shade of pink than what it was when he saw the prince's bed empty.

"Naruto-sama!?" he called nervously, running through the large room as if his tail were on fire.

He had already checked the whole castle, and didn't want to call out the royal guard for a search until he was sure Naruto wasn't just playing a prank on him. But it had been a week since he had last seen the boy! If Naruto was tricking him, it was a very cruel one.

Iruka gripped his chesnut brown hair and groaned loudly.

"Naruto when I find you I'm going to hug you to death and then kill you again in the most painful way possible!"

Iruka ran to the prince's wide circular window, leaning halfway out, and let out a long howl.

The wolf-like cry traveled for miles, and the guards protecting the kingdom borders and the castle perked their ears, scrambling together before changing into their large animal forms and separating to scour the land.

Howls and barks echoed back to Iruka, signaling that they had received his message, and he stopped his serenade, sighing as he let himself slide down the wall by the window.

Thank god the King and Queen were away on trading business.

"Iruka-san?"

Iruka jumped as the door to Naruto's room creaked open, and Gaara stepped in gracefully.

"G-Gaara-sama! What brings you here??" Iruka said quickly, standing erect.

"I heard the call," Gaara said, his raccoon tail swishing against the floor behind him. "You haven't found Naruto-sama?"

Iruka deflated a little, letting his head fall.

"No…I can't believe this. I thought he was playing a prank on me at first, but he's been missing for a week! What if he's hurt?"

"Prince Naruto-sama is a strong Analiax," Gaara said calmly, not seeming perturbed in the least. "A lot more than I think those around the castle give him credit for. You keep him sheltered in the castle, making him study and practice sparring. Maybe this is a good opportunity for him to show everyone here that he's fit to be a king."

Iruka smiled.

"He's lucky to have you for a mate, Gaara-sama."

* * *

Naruto snuggled into the warmth that surrounded him and created a layered cocoon over his body.

He blinked sleepily, curling his tail over something soft tightly, before loosening it and letting it fall limp. He felt the warmth beside him shift, and he was pulled closer to the cocoon of heat.

Naruto yawned, his canines glistening in the beams of light sifting through the navy curtains in the room. He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm as his vision cleared the blurry sleep from his eyes.

He scrunched his eyebrows when he saw a pale expanse of skin pressed against him. He ran his dull claws over the skin and tilted his head up when he heard a low hum emit, sending the sound rippling through Naruto's sensitive fox ears.

Naruto blinked owlishly when he saw Sasuke's face above him, resting on his soft golden spikes of hair.

His first reaction was not what he had thought it would be. To maybe scramble away in disgust or terror was one, or change back into his fox form. Instead Naruto found himself holding back a small smile.

He lifted his hand and ran a clawed finger along Sasuke's jaw line, his smile growing when the raven shifted his head so that his cheek was nuzzling Naruto's palm.

Naruto stretched himself out while still being careful of his ankle. Why was it healing so slowly? One week had passed since Naruto had been saved by Sasuke, and he admitted that he felt an attachment to the human. In fact he subconsciously willed his wound to heal slower, for fear Sasuke would release him.

Naruto rubbed his palm lightly against Sasuke's cheek. He wanted the raven to know, to just see him in his real form once…

Naruto shook his head. Ridiculous.

He looked out where the light was filtering into the dark room, the sun just partially over the horizon line.

Naruto shifted into his small fox form as his furry stomach growled, and he jumped on Sasuke's chest.

Sasuke grunted but made no other signs of getting up anytime soon.

Naruto pawed his chest, whining softly. He nudged Sasuke's neck with his cold nose, but the Uchiha just pulled the covers up further.

Naruto sighed. Normally when an Analiax was first born they would have to find ways to wake their parents up for food, but since Naruto was found in the forest after his mother had died from giving birth to him, his food was brought to him by Tsunade and the servants at the castle. Never once did he have to learn how to wake another Analiax up. But then, how to wake a human? Sasuke was usually up before him to go hunting with his brother after all.

Naruto sat there, weighing his options, his thick tail swaying behind him in thought. He finally pressed his nose against Sasuke's then tilted his head to the side and gave his cheek a good lick with an added yip for measure.

Sasuke blinked when he felt something warm and wet slide across his cheek, and Naruto began to wag his tail. He licked Sasuke more until the albeit sleepy onyx orbs were open.

"Eck," Sasuke said, wiping away Naruto's saliva from his face. He looked to the window and closed his eyes again.

"It's barely sunrise Naruto," he groaned. Naruto yipped and twirled in a circle on Sasuke's chest impatiently, and the raven rolled his eyes.

* * *

Sasuke watched Naruto groggily as he sat at the edge of the river on the west side of the forest. The temperature had warmed considerably, and the water was now flowing again and not trapped under a frozen layer.

Sasuke pulled his cloak more tightly around him as the wind blew, making his skin prickle from the chill. Naruto's fur ruffled considerably, but the fox took no notice, staring in fierce concentration at the water.

"Dobe, those fish are bigger than you are, you'll never be able to catch one," Sasuke said. He admitted that he still felt a little silly speaking to the fox, and yet he somehow knew the creature could understand him. As if to prove his inner reasoning Naruto turned, seemed to glare at the Uchiha, and resumed gazing at the water.

Naruto's eyes finally locked on a carp, and he followed it intently move for move, taking in every flick of its tail fin and gentle rush of the water it pushed aside as it swam.

Naruto had never been good at fishing. Actually he was god awful at it, but he really didn't feel like chasing his breakfast.

"_Ok ok, on the count of three. One…two……two and a half…"_

The carp glided directly in front of Naruto's range.

"_Three!"_

Naruto's right paw sprung forward, smacking the fish clean out of the water and into the air. He tried to catch it with his teeth, but it feel forward too much, and he attempted to use his paws to grip it.

Sasuke started to laugh as Naruto walked forward more on his hind legs, his paws scrambling for the fish in midair. He leaned forward, and his body spazzed as he suddenly fell into the river.

Sasuke burst out laughing as he watched the fox fight for the fish in the river, sending freezing water flying in all different directions. The fish was bigger than the fox by an inch, and Naruto was having a hell of a time gripping it.

Finally the little fox got a good hold of the fish and dragged it from the water. It flopped around on the ground, gasping and flailing for air, and Naruto tried to keep it down like a house cat would bat a toy.

Naruto couldn't seem to keep the large fish down as it flopped mercilessly. He bent his head forward to try and snap the fish's neck, when it suddenly smacked him across the face with its tail, and flopped back into the water.

Naruto looked over at Sasuke who was having trouble breathing, and he looked back at the water and glared.

Dumbass fish. Making him look like a fool. And a human was laughing at him.

Naruto shook out his drenched fur, water droplets flying, and padded his way over to Sasuke.

Sasuke sat up, his laughter dying out into chuckles as Naruto walked onto his lap. The fox dug at Sasuke's cloak, opening it with his nose. He used his nose again to lift up Sasuke's shirt, and he huddled inside it, wiping his freezing and wet fur against Sasuke's skin.

Over the week when Sasuke had traveled to the forest, he placed Naruto in his shirt under his cloak where he was undetected by others and safe from the winter chill. It became a habit for the fox to retreat into the Uchiha's shirt when it was scared or cold. Sasuke had also noticed the fox's various expressions and yips. Even though he still felt silly talking to the fox, it also felt completely normal. Naruto responded with barks, pawing, and looks. He was more human than an animal could hope to be, and to Sasuke, the fox was.

Sasuke smirked as he pulled the fox out of his shirt and wrapped him up in his cloak. Naruto rubbed against the fabric, trying to dry his fur as much as he could before the cold sunk in and he began to shiver.

Sasuke moved Naruto cocooned in the cloak over to the side as he stood. Naruto watched as the raven approached the river, crouching down at its edge. He pulled out his onyx dagger, and after a pause, shot it into the water. He lifted the knife back out, and a fish lay pierced on its blade.

"Dobe," Sasuke smirked, and Naruto hissed, but nonetheless walked forward to accept the food.

Sasuke removed the dagger from the fish and faced the patiently waiting fox.

"Speak," Sasuke said, and Naruto blinked.

"_Speak? Speak what?"_ he thought.

"Naruto, can you speak?" Sasuke said again.

Naruto almost couldn't believe it. Sasuke knew? Did he know that he could talk!?

"C'mon, like bark or yip?"

…maybe not.

Naruto let out a halfhearted yip and Sasuke smiled a little. Naruto had grown so fond of those soft smiles. They were few and far between, but they made him feel a glow inside, a warmth that spread through his body to the very tips of his ears.

"How about sit?" Sasuke asked again, and Naruto's fluffy butt met the forest floor. Sasuke began to feel excited, knowing that the fox understood him so well without having been trained at all. He gave Naruto the fish, and the kitsune grabbed it eagerly, ripping it apart with his teeth.

It was wonderful to have something other than rabbit or mice now that the pond had thawed. Normally Naruto could take down a buck with no problem, but his menu was very limited in his small fox form.

Sasuke watched as Naruto made quick work of the fish, licking the bones clean. He noticed that for such a small kit, the fox had a huge appetite.

Naruto sat back as he finished, his belly swelling with satisfaction. He padded over to Sasuke and rolled over. He had come to enjoy a tummy rub from the Uchiha after eating.

Sasuke automatically caressed Naruto's soft underbelly with his fingers, lightly grazing his nails over the fur.

Naruto suddenly winced and sat up.

"_That was weird…"_ he thought. He felt the pain again, this time as if someone had punched him in the gut, and he yelped.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sasuke said, quickly taking the fox into his arms.

Naruto felt like his insides were on fire, searing, burning, tearing his flesh from the inside out. Hcried more and Sasuke stood quickly, throwing back on his cloak and cradling Naruto under his shirt as he hurried back to the castle.

* * *

Naruto was a fountain of knowledge. Over the past week Kakashi had gained more information about Analiaxes than three years of intensive study and research combined. The blond was an enigma, surprising Kakashi everyday with new information about his culture and species.

Kakashi looked up from his quill and parchment when the doors to his study burst open.

"Good morning to you too Prin-"

"Something is wrong with Naruto," Sasuke cut him off, panting as he hurried in and locked the door behind himself.

Kakashi stood quickly as Sasuke removed Naruto from his shirt, the little fox crying softly and trying not to make too much noise. He was panting swiftly, his fur seeming to almost take on a flushed appearance.

"Over here," Kakashi said, walking over to a cushioned table where he normally examined creatures.

Sasuke delicately placed Naruto down on the soft material, and the fox went limp as it hit the cushion.

"What happened?" Kakashi said, turning Naruto over and feeling around his neck, legs, and other vital areas.

"I don't know. Naruto was fishing and fell into the water. He didn't catch anything so I used my dagger to get a fish for him."

"Did he eat it?"

"Yes."

Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows as he rubbed Naruto's ears. A pair of crushed blue eyes opened, brimming with pain and need. Kakashi pressed Naruto's body a little harder, and the kit yelped. Kakashi continued doing so to all of Naruto's body to see if there was only one or two spots where he cried out, but he yelped on every touch.

Kakashi shook his head.

"It must be something internal," he said. He walked back over to his desk and took out his stethoscope from the top drawer.

He strode back over and pressed it lightly against Naruto's chest.

"His heartbeat is fast and erratic," Kakashi said. "I need a blood sample to see what's going on. You have to hold and comfort him."

Sasuke nodded as Kakashi fetched the needle.

"Naruto," Sasuke said softly, and the fox did it's best to keep its eyes open halfway. "Kakashi needs to take some blood to find out what's hurting you. So you have to be still, ok?" Sasuke held Naruto's face in his hands and rubbed soothingly behind his ears.

Kakashi returned not a moment later with the needles. He wiped a spot at the base Naruto's tail clean before using the needle.

Sasuke felt Naruto stiffen as it went in, and he shushed and stroked the fox lovingly, whispering quiet words of comfort into the frightened pair of ears.

Kakashi took the blood over to his microscope, making a plate of the blood on a clean disc before slipping it under the lens.

He focused and refocused, turning the light up and down and switching lenses for six minutes until Sasuke heard the man take in a sharp breath of hair.

"Sasuke, what dagger did you use to kill the fish Naruto ate?" he asked, and Sasuke pulled out the dagger from his side.

"This one. Itachi gave it to me," he said.

Kakashi took the knife in his hand and ran his fingers over the blade.

"This…this is made of Tamer's stone, isn't it?" Kakashi asked quietly, and Sasuke nodded.

"But Tamer's stone only effects Analiaxes, not normal animals."

Kakashi looked up at Sasuke, their eyes locking, and Sasuke took a step back.

"Naruto…he isn't, I know he isn't! He's just a fox!"

Then again that would explain the kit's intelligence and facial expressions, and the feeling of him being more of a human than an animal.

Sasuke shook his head.

"I haven't seen Naruto change once, not once! And if he were an Analiax he would have…he…"

"He would have killed you by now?" Kakashi filled in. "Sasuke, I think its time you should know. Yes, Naruto is an Analiax."

Naruto suddenly shot up from where he lay and bounded off the cushion. His legs seemed to malfunction under him, and he scrambled across the wooden floor in between Sasuke and Kakashi's legs to the window.

"Naruto!" Kakashi said, sprinting over to the fox that he knew was getting poised to crash through the window.

"_You bastard! You said you'd never tell! You liar!"_ Naruto barked and yipped as he struggled in Kakashi's grasp with what strength he had. _"I won't die here, I won't! I won't be killed by humans! I would rather die suffering from what's happening to me now!"_

"Naruto! Calm down!" Kakashi said over Naruto's crying and barking.

"Is that his real name? Naruto?" Sasuke managed to ask, his mind hazy with disbelief and hurt.

"Yes," Kakashi said. "And he's trying to crash through the window because he doesn't want to be killed by you."

Naruto was getting fed up. He couldn't take being held back much longer, so he did the only thing he could think of, and released himself into his Analiax form.

Sasuke backed up and his eyes widened as the struggling kit in front of him morphed into a young adult man. His skin was a flawless tan wrapped around his body, blond hair falling in clam spikes to the nape of his neck. From the depth of the spikes two blond fox ears protruded. On each of his cheeks were three straight lines akin to the whiskers of a fox. His eyes were closed in frustration as he tried to break from Kakashi, who was holding back both of his arms. Sasuke noticed that the Analiax had on some simple black clothing of his that he had grown out of, and from the backside of the pants where a hold had been ripped, a lush golden fox tail flowed, tipped with white.

Naruto had thought changing into his normal form would give him a boost of strength, but the transformation had sucked any remaining energy from the very marrow of his bones, and he grew limp.

Kakashi caught him, the young blond breathing quickly and his face flushed.

Kakashi heaved Naruto into his arms and walked over to a couch on the other side of the study, laying the blond there gently. Naruto groaned softly in agony as Kakashi did so, and he painfully opened his eyes.

Blue.

Sasuke saw that they were the exact same color blue that his fox's eyes held. Bright like crushed sky but now swept over with clouds of pain.

Sasuke approached the blond cautiously, taking slow but long strides. He reached the edge of the couch and looked down. This young man, this _creature_, was the fox he had been for the entire week?

"Naruto," Sasuke said shakily, swallowing. To be in the presence of this Analiax, this being that he had unknowingly been sleeping with, eating with, talking to, and spending time with…unnerved him to say the least.

Naruto's ears tipped in Sasuke's direction, and he opened his tired eyes to look at the raven.

Sasuke shifted where he stood.

"Naruto…speak," he said quietly.

"S-Sasu…ke," Naruto said brokenly, his voice cracking from weakness, and Sasuke felt his knees begin to buckle.

This was Naruto. This was his fox. This was an Analiax living, breathing right in front of him.

And yet this was the creature he was sworn to kill.

Sasuke unsheathed his dagger from his side and Kakashi's eyes widened.

"Sasuke," he said sternly, his eyes turning icy. "Do you intend on killing Naruto?"

Sasuke flicked his gaze from Kakashi and then back to Naruto.

"I have to. It's my duty to my kingdom."

"What duty!?" Kakashi burst. "What fucking duty!? How is killing a creature that is the last of its kind considered noble like you think yourself to be!? Analiaxes are misunderstood beings that people like your brother point fingers at for the natural decay of a kingdom with a malevolent ruler! Naruto has been with you for a whole week, Sasuke. He could have killed you anytime he wanted. Even with an injured ankle he is at least ten times stronger than you. But he didn't, did he Sasuke?"

"What do you mean 'the last'? There are plenty of Analiaxes."

"Naruto is the last direct descendant of the Kyuubi left in existence!"

Naruto looked between Kakashi and Sasuke. His knowledge of the human language was limited, and he could only understand some words, but he could judge by Kakashi's face that he was anything but pleased.

Naruto eyed the dagger that Sasuke held, and scrambled back a little when he finally realized what the blade was made from.

Sasuke thought over Kakashi's words, before grabbing Naruto's wrist and pulling him from the couch. Naruto groaned in pain but Sasuke paid it no mind as he led Naruto out of the room.

Kakashi watched the two of them leave. He knew he couldn't do anything or it would be his head. He prayed to every God he knew that the last Kyuubi heir would keep his life.

* * *

Naruto's ears were flat against his head as Sasuke dragged him through the castle, careful to dodge any guards or servants.

They pushed through a set of gold enameled doors out to a vast garden.

Naruto breathed in deeply and looked around with wide eyes. How could this garden be untouched by the frost? He looked up and saw a roof over the expanse of green grass and wild flowers. Could plants really grow in an enclosed place?

Naruto didn't have time to think further as Sasuke tugged him deeper into the garden. They stopped by a pearly white bench, ivy entwining around the seat and up the legs.

Naruto grunted as Sasuke pushed him down to his knees, and pressured his back downward until his neck was lying across the bench. He felt Sasuke's hand press him down as he walked around the bench in front of the blond. Naruto felt a cold stone press against his neck, and his pulse quickened rapidly until it was hammering like a drum in his ears.

He admitted, he had wanted to die on his homeland instead of an enemy's. He had also hoped to officially take the throne and do some good for his kingdom before he went, but Iruka had told him that things happened for a reason. Would his death spur the war further? Or maybe end it in some impossible way?

Naruto closed his eyes and let his body go limp, resigning himself to his fate. His ears relaxed and his tail went from stiff to calm in a matter of milliseconds.

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows as he sensed the creature beneath him do this, and he pressed the knife further into the blond's neck until he felt a trickle of blood flow over his fingers. He winced and pulled back a little as a sudden burning sensation spread over his chest and traveled through his body. It pulsed and pounded like an open wound. He shook his head as it subsided after a short moment, and pressed the knife back to Naruto's throat.

"I have nothing against you personally, Naruto," Sasuke said, swallowing as his throat become dry. "But I swore to kill any Analiax I came into contact with to protect my kingdom."

"Yaskir nav a kir. Nav dhal uoosha," Naruto replied softly. He hadn't caught all of the words Sasuke had spoken, but he understood "to protect", "kingdom", "to swear", and "to kill". Through this he was able to get a vague understanding of what the raven was trying to convey.

Sasuke blinked, perplexed at the strange but beautiful language Naruto spoke.

Naruto knew that the human wasn't aware of what he was saying, but he felt that it needed to be voiced nevertheless.

"_I understand. I would do the same."_

Sasuke brought his knife to the side, preparing to slide it across Naruto's neck. He re-gripped the handle uncertainly, remembering what Kakashi had told him.

Naruto _could_ have killed him. He had the means to, even with a slight injury. He could have gone right to Itachi and slain him and ended the war…but why didn't he?

Sasuke licked his suddenly dry lips.

"Are you really the last of your bloodline?" he asked quietly.

Naruto opened his eyes, surprised at the question, but nodded nonetheless.

Naruto had been with him the whole week. Of course he was a fox, but he was still the same, wasn't he? He had made a connection with the fox, a special friendship. They understood each other without the need for words, and Naruto could make him laugh like no one else.

Could he really end all that with a flick of his wrist?

Sasuke looked down at the creature he was about to slay.

Naruto was beautiful. Breathtaking, even.

Naruto moved his eyes to the corner to look at his soon to be killer, and Sasuke saw those crystal blue depths again.

They were innocent, untainted. Sasuke wondered if Naruto had even shed another's blood before. But they weren't frightened or pleading like Sasuke had expected; they were strong and determined, almost asking Sasuke to swipe the blade.

Sasuke felt the ache inside of him again, and he dropped his dagger.

Naruto looked down as he heard a soft thud to find the onyx knife nestled in the emerald grass beneath. He shifted his head to looked over at Sasuke, who was holding his head in his hands.

The raven ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply.

* * *

Kakashi watched as his quill scribbled out his thoughts in his Analiax study journal he had been keeping to document Naruto's behavior and the explanations of his culture.

_December 13__th_

_Studies of Naruto have hereafter ceased. After eating food contaminated by a Tamer stone dagger he changed form and has been discovered by Sasuke. Today Naruto will be killed by Prince Sasuke Uchiha, thus ending the Kyuubi bloodline and leaving the Analiax kingdom in a mad scramble for their next heir to the throne._

Kakashi sighed and placed his quill back in its ink well, sitting back in his chair. He rubbed his eyes as he felt them sting and water slightly.

He had grown fond of Naruto, and came attached to him over the week. It was hard not to like someone as charming as Naruto. He was in a sense the sunlight in the nighttime sky.

Kakashi looked up abruptly as the door opened and Sasuke walked in.

"Come to wash your bloodstained hands?" Kakashi spat, and his eyes widened when he saw Sasuke tug Naruto, a living breathing Naruto, into the room.

"Naruto!" Kakashi cried, bolting up from his seat and hugging the life from Naruto.

"Kakashi…I can't..breathe!" Naruto wheezed, and Kakashi released him.

"Sorry," Kakashi said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sasuke let you live?"

"I thought he was going to kill me when he just dropped the knife."

Sasuke looked between Naruto and Kakashi as they spoke in the Analiax dialect, and he coughed to get their attention.

"I'd like to be able to understand what the two of you are saying," he said.

"Analiax are very capable learners Sasuke-sama," Kakashi said. "If you would allow it, I could teach Naruto to speak our language."

"Fine," Sasuke said. "But I still don't trust this Analiax."

Sasuke left the room, and Naruto threw Kakashi a worried glance. The door opened once more a moment later, and Sasuke returned, this time holding the Tamer collar Itachi had given him.

Sasuke held up the collar and Naruto scrambled away, spouting something Sasuke couldn't understand.

"Sasuke you can't!" Kakashi said, standing in front of Naruto defensively. "Do you have any idea of what that can do to him?"

"Yes, it'll make him obey me, which is exactly what I want," Sasuke said, pushing Kakashi aside. Naruto backed up against the wall, his ears pressed to his head in fear and tail flicking agitatedly as he hissed at Sasuke, canines bared.

"It's either this or he dies," Sasuke said. "I told you I don't trust him."

"You can't collar Naruto, Sasuke-sama; it's wrong. Especially for Naruto to have one!"

"Why?"

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, being the last of the Kyuubi bloodline, is the _Prince_ of the Analiax kingdom. He's on the same level as you, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke was a bit taken aback by this. He had assumed Naruto was a common Analiax, even if he did come from rare blood, but he was royality?

"That's even more of a reason for me to collar him," Sasuke bit back, and clasped the collar around Naruto's neck while the blond was distracted.

Naruto howled in agony and dropped to his knees. Sasuke looked away as the collar sunk into the skin on Naruto's neck until only part of the onyx stones were showing. Blood dappled the wooden floor and ran down Naruto's clothing. A black light surrounded the collar, before disappearing in a small detonation. The blond dropped to the ground in his own blood, panting and exhausted.

Kakashi kneeled by him immediately, lifting him into his arms.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said coldly, glaring at the raven. "I thought for a moment when you spared Naruto that you had a heart somewhere inside you, but now I won't be surprised when you turn into Itachi."

Kakashi walked off out of the room, and Sasuke stared down at the floor.

Itachi was something he never, not on pain of death, ever wanted to be. Itachi was a ruthless, malevolent ruler to not only his enemies, but even his own subjects.

Sasuke watched the crimson blood at his feet seep into the cracks in the floorboards, and a wave of guilt hit him. The ache in his chest returned full force, and his gripped his shirt as if willing the pain to stop.

Sasuke would not become his brother, even if he had to harbor an Analiax.

* * *

**The next chapter gets more sasunaru action, kukuku.**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune**

**Gomi-kun**


	7. Hello Sunshine!

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None! **

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: This chapter is both happy and sad. Sorry!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Hello Sunshine!**

--

Naruto blinked and opened his eyes groggily.

He hissed as he felt something ice cold press against his tender neck.

"Sorry," Kakashi said. "But I don't want this to get infected."

"What happened?" Naruto groaned, his ears lowering as he felt more pain.

"You passed out after Sasuke collared you. You've been out for most of the day. It's currently nightfall."

Naruto blinked as he looked up at the ceiling, trying to process all of this information with his slowly recovering mind.

"He…he collared me," Naruto breathed, lifting a hand to touch his neck lightly. He felt the stones protruding slightly from his skin, and he shut his eyes.

He was a disgrace. He had been collared by a human. How could he ever face his kingdom again?

"What's wrong Naruto?" Kakashi asked, noticing the troubled expression on the prince's face.

"I can never go back home," Naruto said. "Not like this. I can't be collared…"

"Collars aren't always forever Naruto," Kakashi comforted. "Sasuke could release you."

Naruto scoffed. "Yea, and maybe Kyuubi will rise from the dead but I'm not holding my breath."

Kakashi chuckled lightly. Naruto smiled a little, when suddenly he felt his body heave and he sat up quickly.

"Kashi," he groaned. "I think I'm gonna…"

Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the wrist and quickly led him to the bathroom just in time as the blond puked in the toilet.

Kakashi sighed, closing the door as he waited outside for Naruto to finish.

He shifted his gaze when the door to his room opened and Sasuke stepped in.

"May I help you Prince?" Kakashi said unemotionally, still stung by Sasuke's harsh actions towards Naruto.

Sasuke sighed. "Where's Naruto?"

Kakashi nodded to the bathroom door he stood beside. "The poison from your blade is leaving his system."

Sasuke nodded. He sat on the couch in Kakashi's room.

It was silent for a moment until he spoke up, "I want Naruto to stay in my room as he was before."

Kakashi looked over at Sasuke, and smiled when he saw the light pink flush staining the royal pale cheeks. It was as close to an apology as he would ever get.

Kakashi nodded happily.

The bathroom door opened, and Naruto stumbled out.

"Whoa," Kakashi said, catching the weak blond.

"I feel like shit," Naruto said, and Kakashi laughed.

"What did he say?" Sasuke asked, turning where he sat to look at the bedraggled blond.

"That he feels like shit," Kakashi said, and Sasuke smirked.

"Hn. Can Naruto speak our language at all?"

Kakashi asked the question to Naruto, and the white-haired man translated it to Sasuke.

"He said that he knows some words, but they are limited."

"What words does he know already?"

Kakashi relayed the question again, and Naruto scratched the back of his head in thought.

He pointed to Kakashi and Sasuke and said, "Hue-man."

"Human?" Sasuke said, and Kakashi nodded. "He needs some work on pronunciation."

"Man," Naruto said, pointing to Kakashi. He pointed to Sasuke. "Pree-in-sss."

"Prince," Sasuke corrected.

"Pra-ince," Naruto tried.

"Pr-in-ce," Sasuke annunciated. "Prince."

"Prince," Naruto said, grinning when he got it right. He pointed to himself. "Prince."

"Yes," Sasuke said. "He learns quickly."

"Indeed. Naruto is very intelligent. He gets it from his Kyuubi bloodline."

Naruto yawned and Sasuke looked out the window.

"This is the time I used to take Naruto to bed, but…"

"But what?" Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sasuke gestured to Naruto. "He's not a fox anymore. He's a man, Kakashi. I can't sleep with a man."

"Technically you have been for a week. What's the problem princess?"

Sasuke glared heatedly at Kakashi before stalking off, Naruto in tow.

Kakashi smirked as he chalked up a victory for himself.

* * *

Sasuke watched as Naruto removed his shirt. He couldn't help but let his eyes meander up the healthy sun kissed expanse of skin before him, and he had the sudden urge to glide his fingertips up its surface.

Sasuke blinked from his thoughts as Naruto sat on the bed, pulling the covers over himself as he scooted next to Sasuke.

Sasuke moved further to the right, and Naruto went farther to the right. Sasuke scooched again, and Naruto followed.

Sasuke glared at the blond and pushed him to the other side of the bed. Naruto's ears dropped a little as Sasuke turned his back to him.

"Sasuke?" he said, touching Sasuke's pale back. Sasuke felt a shiver run up his spine and make his body quiver at the touch.

Sasuke turned back over to face Naruto.

"What?"

Naruto looked down as he fingered the sheets almost abashedly. He scooted closer to Sasuke, and seeing that the Uchiha didn't move, pressed up against his chest and wrapped his velveteen tail around one of Sasuke's legs.

"Warm," the blond sighed contentedly.

Sasuke blinked. This seemed familiar to him…

He looked down at Naruto, and the blond looked back at him with his crystal eyes.

Sasuke's eyes widened as realization slapped him in the face.

"I remember you," he said. "I thought it was a dream…I kissed you."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows.

"Do not understand," he said.

"I…" Sasuke pointed to himself. "Kissed you..." he pointed to Naruto.

"I," Naruto said, pointing to himself. "You," Naruto said, pointing to Sasuke. The blond really did catch on quick. "Ka-is…?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"K-iss," Sasuke said. "Uh…" he pursed his lips a little. "Kiss," he said again.

Naruto mimicked Sasuke and pursed his lips, looking akin to a goldfish.

"Kiss?" he asked to conformation.

Sasuke sighed exaggeratedly and ran a hand through his hair. He stood up and walked over to a bookshelf sitting against his wall. He grabbed a storybook from when he was younger and brought it back to the bed.

He opened it up to the very end when the prince saved the princess, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Kiss," Sasuke said, pointing to the picture.

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows as he examined the picture. He leaned into Sasuke, who in turn leaned back. Naruto kept leaning until his lips were grazing against Sasuke's cheek…

…and then he pulled away.

"Kiss?" Naruto said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head. It _would_ have been a kiss if the dobe would have just pressed his lips forward.

Sasuke, fed up with trying to convey what he meant, abruptly pulled Naruto to him by his shoulders, and melded their lips together.

Naruto's eyes widened as Sasuke moved his lips gently against his own. His first instinct was to pull away, but a burning sensation inside his body compelled him to respond…so he did.

It would have been an understatement to say that Sasuke was surprised. He didn't expect Naruto to kiss back, even for a second. He had planned to kiss him quickly and get it over with, but apparently that wasn't going to happen…and a part of Sasuke didn't want it to.

It was just simple pressure, nothing else. Naruto didn't make a move to open his mouth, and though Sasuke had the searing desire to taste the moist cavern within, he didn't want to frighten Naruto, so instead he pulled away.

Sasuke watched as Naruto's closed eyes opened slowly, his ears pressed against his head meekly.

"Kiss?" he asked for clarification.

Sasuke nodded. "Kiss."

"Define," Naruto said, and Sasuke paused. How was he to define a kiss?

Sasuke stood from the bed and walked back to his bookshelf, this time returning with four books.

"These are Kakashi's notes on Analiax writing translated to human," he said, handing the first book to Naruto, who immediately opened it and flipped to the first page.

"Ha…he-hel…lo," he said brokenly, following a word in the book with his clawed finger. "Hel…lo. Hello. Hello!" Naruto beamed up at Sasuke. "Hello Sasuke!"

Sasuke smiled softly, and Naruto's ears pulled down to his head, a light blush airbrushing his cheeks.

Sasuke didn't know why Naruto made him smile, and frankly his reason for it was that…well, it was Naruto. It was difficult not to smile around him. His small smile only increased when he saw the flush on Naruto's face, even though the cause of it was unknown to him.

The next book he handed Naruto was a dictionary.

"Human words," he said, pointing to the book. Naruto took the book eagerly, his thirst to learn apparent in the gleam his crystal eyes emanated.

Sasuke handed Naruto the last two books, one he had kept from when he was younger and learning to read, and a thesaurus.

"Study," he said. "Speak human."

Naruto's eyes closed as he grinned widely and nodded, his sharp canines bared and shining.

Sasuke flipped off the lamp next to his bed, plunging the room into darkness. He turned over under the covers so that his back was facing Naruto.

He felt a loss of warmth that Naruto once provided as the little fox that curled next to him. He shivered subconsciously and slid further under the blankets.

"Naruto," he said quietly, even a little sheepishly.

"Nn?" Naruto said, and Sasuke figured it meant "yes" or "what" in his native tongue. Sasuke didn't say anything, and Naruto placed his palm on Sasuke's bare shoulder.

He shuddered when he felt the cold skin.

He knew that every night he had cuddled up next to Sasuke, but with these books of the human language presented to him, sleep was no longer wearing on him, and his incredible passion for the knowledge laid before him was taking over. He didn't want to rest; he wanted to learn the human language as soon as possible.

Naruto decided to meet in the middle, and he moved his luscious golden tail to wrap around Sasuke's torso.

Sasuke flinched as the fur touched his bare skin, tickling against it. He ran his fingers through the silky sunshine fur fondly, and held it close to his chest, warmth radiating from it at every angle.

* * *

**Ah I know I haven't updated my other stories ^^; The next one to be updated will be Love Me Not. The next chapter is almost done...don't kill me please! Forgive me lateness! I'm not dead!!**  


* * *


	8. Epiphany

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None! **

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Epiphany  
**

--

Sasuke did not wake up like he usually would have.

The light filtering in through the curtains did not tease his eyelids with blinding brightness until they submitted and opened. The crows outside were not arguing loudly about who's feathers were blacker. Kakashi did not burst open the door to prepare him for the morning hunt, no.

Sasuke awoke to the sound of crinkling paper and the scribbling of an ink quill.

The noises were crisp and clear in his ears as he lifted his head from his pillow, hair a chaotic mess that fell around his face. He looked over beside him and blinked owlishly at Naruto who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, writing on a piece of parchment while glancing at two different open books in front of him.

He turned his head to look at Sasuke, and his ears sprung to life. Sasuke felt something furry move around his waist, and he glanced down. Naruto's warm golden tail was still wrapped around him, only this time it was moving.

Naruto uncurled his tail from Sasuke, and the raven saw that he was wagging it happily as he would have when he was in his small fox form.

"Gud moorneng Sasuke!" he said smiling, and he leaned forward and gave Sasuke a peck on the lips.

Sasuke touched his lips and stuttered a little.

"N-Naruto! Wh-wha…"

Naruto took the opened book to his right on the bed and flipped it to a marker he had set there.

"Kiss," he said, pointing to the definition for Sasuke to see.

"A kiss is the touching of one person's lips to another place, which is used as an expression of affection or to show respect, and as a greeting or a farewell," Sasuke read verbatim from the book.

"Gra-ee-ting," Naruto said, pointing to the word in the definition and then back to the word kiss.

Sasuke sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sasuke is unhaeppie?" Naruto asked, doing his best to try and pronounce the new words he had learned. His perked ears lowered as he saw the expression on the raven's face.

Sasuke looked back at Naruto, and sighed again as he reached out and ran a hand over one of Naruto's soft ears.

"No," he said. He leaned forward, and Naruto in turn leaned back.

"Stop moving," Sasuke said, and Naruto persisted backward as he came closer.

Sasuke jumped from surprise as black sparks entwined with red flew from Naruto's collar, and he yelped and screwed his eyes shut in pain as the sparks kept him immobile.

"Sasuke!" Naruto managed to cry out.

"Stop! Stop this!" Sasuke cried to the collar, and yet the small lightning and sparks persisted. "You can move, Naruto!"

The collar ceased its emissions, and Naruto fell back onto the bad, limp and panting.

Sasuke swallowed as he watched Naruto regain his composure. He hadn't meant to activate the collar, but it must have responded to Naruto disobeying an "order". But Sasuke hadn't meant for it to be an order either. Was he really thinking when he collared Naruto? Or did he just see the Analiax he wanted to contain?

Naruto sat up shakily, his hair overshadowing his face. Sasuke saw the burns from the sparks around his neck, and he reached out and brushed the tips of his fingers lightly against them.

Naruto's head jerked up and he slapped Sasuke's hand away, still panting. His eyes conveyed to the Uchiha pain, distress, confusion, and anger. They were watery from containing tears of pain, and shone like starlight.

"I'm so sorry Naruto," Sasuke said. "I...I didn't mean it, I swear," he said, stuttering slightly.

"Why Sasuke co-allar Naruto?" Naruto asked, his eyes now hardened to a deep cobalt blue.

Sasuke licked his dry lips as he tried his best to meet those eyes but failing miserably.

"Fear," he finally concluded aloud.

"Of Naruto?" Naruto asked, his tight facial expression relaxing.

Sasuke nodded.

"Naruto not hurt Sasuke," Naruto said. "Sasuke with Naruto."

"With?" Sasuke asked, and once again Naruto picked up his other open book, the thesaurus. He flipped through the pages until he found the work he wanted.

"Ka-nekk-ted," he said slowly. "Ka...Co. Co-necc-ted. Con-nec-ted. Connected." He looked back up at Sasuke. "Sasuke and Naruto connected."

Sasuke simply blinked back, amazed.

This creature before him, the being he had collared, almost killed, and just accidentally inflicted punishment to, confessed to not wanting to hurt Sasuke because they were…connected?

"Human," Sasuke said, pointing to himself. "Analiax." He pointed to Naruto, trying to convey that they were not connected, or related at all for that matter.

Naruto pointed to the both of them. "Living creature."

Sasuke was taken aback to say the least. They were connected by just being living, breathing beings? Sasuke had never once thought of Analiaxes as being on par with humans at all. They were at the bottom, the scourge of the world, and yet this young creature, this Analiax, this _prince_, was able to see past their species to the root of what every single being was: living. Breathing. Surviving. Creatures.

"Connected," Sasuke said, and Naruto grinned. Sasuke looked back at Naruto's burns that were already beginning to heal and recede.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly but sincerely.

Naruto waved away the matter. "Nothing," he said.

Sasuke fingered the covers under him before leaning forward. Naruto once again leaned back, and he thought of what to say.

"Please, stay still," he said. Hopefully the collar would recognize that this was not an order, but a request that could be turned down. Naruto eyed Sasuke, but he stayed still nonetheless as the raven proceeded until they were but an inch from each other.

Sasuke pressed his lips softly but chastely against Naruto's.

"Good morning," he said.

* * *

Kakashi was an honest man.

…mostly.

He did tell the occasional tall tale now and then to get himself out of boring castle meetings, but otherwise he was pure sincerity.

For the past five hours since sunrise Kakashi had been teaching Naruto constantly until his lessons ran into Sasuke's and he had to teach simultaneously, switching the languages he spoke in back and forth.

And so, Kakashi wouldn't lie.

He was having the time of his life.

Sasuke wasn't the most energetic student…no, that was an understatement. Sasuke just didn't give a shit and did what he was told. He didn't ask questions or want to expand on his current knowledge. He took lessons with Kakashi simply because he had to. But Naruto had a never-ending natural thirst for knowledge. He heard everything Kakashi said and responded quickly and promptly with his own answers and questions. Kakashi could already tell that the Kyuubi bloodline had passed down an astonishing intellect to the young prince.

Learning the human language was Kakashi's top teaching priority. It was important for not only Naruto to understand the humans around him, but for Sasuke to understand Naruto.

Kakashi tapped against the chalkboard with a pointer in front of a sentence.

"The sky r-…rum…rumbles in the north," Naruto pronounced.

"Excellent," Kakashi said happily. Teaching Naruto the alphabet was no problem since he had read Kakashi's notes on translating the Analiax language to English, and he was an incredibly fast learner. They had started with very simple sentences and worked their way up, to the point where Kakashi was confident that Naruto could read anything. His only true points to work on were expanding his vocabulary and pronunciation.

Naruto grinned and Sasuke looked up from the paper he was writing on and smiled softly. He discovered that Naruto's smiles seemed to light a fire in him that spread its warmth in small embers to the farthest corners of his body, until it seemed to emanate throughout the room. It was a feeling that Sasuke cherished and tried to experience as often as possible. It wasn't hard of course, since Naruto was so easy to please.

"How about this one," Kakashi said, using his pointer to indicate the next sentence on the board. "It's a tough one." He had long since stopped speaking in Analiax to Naruto, now using strictly English.

Naruto's tail flicked under the table as he scrutinized the sentence, and Sasuke shivered slightly as he felt the velveteen fur brush against his bare foot.

"The water r…ripples and reflects the streams of light," Naruto said, and Kakashi beamed.

"It's amazing how far you've come in such a short time, Naruto," he said.

"Thank you!" Naruto said, his ears perking and tail swishing again, once more causing Sasuke to quiver.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and then under the table at his tail, and he gave it a stroke with his foot.

Naruto stiffened, then shook himself as a dog would when it was wet.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked worriedly.

"I am fine," Naruto said. "Just…cold. Continue," Naruto said, shooting a look at Sasuke out of the corner of his eyes. The raven smirked and returned to his paper and quill.

Naruto had relaxed himself again five minutes later, when he felt Sasuke's milky skin brush against his tail again.

Sasuke grinned slightly, smug as Naruto's ears pressed against his head and he quivered, his tail flaring out like a fan.

"Sasuke," Naruto hissed between his canines.

"Pay attention Naruto," Kakashi said. He placed down his chalk. "I'm going to fetch a textbook from the library. Please continue the exercises I gave you."

Naruto's golden ears remained erect until he heard the door click shut, and he turned abruptly to Sasuke beside him.

"Teme!" he said angrily. "What was that!?"

Sasuke smirked, amused at how easily Naruto got worked up.

"What was what?" he said innocently.

"That!"

"What that?"

"That that!"

"That what?"

"That!!"

"You mean this?" Sasuke rubbed his foot along Naruto's tail a little more roughly, and Naruto's ears tipped back as he shivered.

"Sasuke, s-stop," Naruto said.

"Why?" Sasuke asked, brushing his foot against the fur once more.

Naruto growled and Sasuke chuckled.

"I'm not stopping until you give me a reason to, Naruto," he said, continuing his stroking.

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, when he closed his eyes, arched his backed, and keened.

Sasuke blinked and stopped teasing Naruto.

"You ok?" Sasuke asked, noticing the slight pink flush across the bridge of Naruto's nose and upper cheeks.

"Depends on what Sasuke considers 'ok'," Naruto said.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked. "Is your tail ticklish or sensitive or something?"

"Sasuke could say so," Naruto said scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "In Analiax kingdom such an act is considered…um…" Naruto flipped open the enormous dictionary in front of him and flipped through the pages quickly.

Sasuke watched him flip back and forth, his speed amazing as he paused, scanned, and flipped some more.

Naruto closed the book and faced Sasuke again.

"It is considered what humans call a 'lover's caress'."

Sasuke blinked, and his face took on an immediate pink hue.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean it like that," he said quickly. "I was just teasing you, alright?"

"It is alright," Naruto said. "My tail is a little sensitive too."

"I see. I'll make sure not to do that again."

"I never-!" Naruto started abruptly, and then shook his head and picked up his quill to continue his exercises.

"You never what?" Sasuke asked, taking the quill from between Naruto's fingers.

"Teme!" Naruto flared instantly, reaching over to grab the quill. Sasuke held it behind his back where Naruto couldn't reach, and the fox sighed exaggeratedly.

"What were you going to say dobe?" Sasuke smirked.

Naruto receded into his seat again, fidgeting slightly.

Naruto mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" Sasuke said.

"I…" Naruto sighed like he was being asked to name the periodic elements in order. "I never said that when Sasuke touched my tail it felt displeasing."

Sasuke blinked as he processed Naruto's words.

"Naru-"

Sasuke closed his mouth as he heard the door behind him open, and Kakashi strode in with a new text in his hand.

"Alright then!" He said, slapping the book down on the desk in front of Naruto, a wave of dust flying from its battered cover.

Naruto sneezed and his ears twitched slightly, and Sasuke couldn't help but smile a little.

* * *

Sasuke sighed as he handed his cloak to a servant at the door, dragging his feet slightly.

After being in a meeting with his brother and the royals from the next kingdom over, he was tired and just wanted to curl up in bed with Naruto.

Sasuke paused in his walk.

…with Naruto?

Sasuke shook his head and continued.

Naruto had continued to grow on him, he would admit, but in a brotherly friend-like way…

…hadn't he?

Sasuke didn't even realize that he had ascended the flight of stairs to Kakashi's study until he was standing right outside of it. He leaned his head against the cool wood of the door and sighed.

Naruto…more than a friend? Stroking Naruto's tail was accidental, but Sasuke couldn't hide the fact that he enjoyed seeing the blush on Naruto's cheeks when he did so, knowing that he was creating it. Could he be growing fond of Naruto?

Sasuke didn't have time to think anymore as the door swung open and he stumbled halfway in.

"Hello to you too Prince," Kakashi said. "I thought I heard the gears turning in your head outside of this door."

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he walked in.

The study looked that same as when he had left it that morning, only more cluttered with books and loose-leaf documents.

Sasuke had to double take when he glanced over at the roaring fireplace in the corner.

Lying in front of the guarded flames was a large wolf- no, not a wolf, a fox- grooming itself. Its fur was melted sunshine that seemed to glow from the light of the fire bouncing off of it. Splayed beside it leisurely was not one, not two, but _nine_ lush golden tails dipped with white. From the creature's large paws sharp retractable black claws protruded, shining like jet black steel.

Sasuke felt himself panic a little, when he saw the black stones just barely visible around the fox's neck, half buried in its skin.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked cautiously, and the large fox turned its head to look at him.

A pair of bright, crushed sky blue eyes gleamed back at him in the light.

Sasuke felt his body unhinge from its tight position in relief, and Kakashi smirked.

"You have never seen Naruto in his full form, have you Sasuke?" he asked.

Sasuke shook his head.

Kakashi laughed when Naruto began to wag his tails, all nine of them becoming a blur of gold and white fur. Naruto yipped, much deeper than the little yip Sasuke was used to when Naruto was in his tiny fox form.

Naruto rose from his position in front of the fire, and Sasuke now understood how large this form was.

Naruto was larger than a wolf. Hell, he was larger than a wild tiger! Naruto hovered over Sasuke by three extra feet, and the raven was relieved that the room had high ceilings. One of Naruto's paws could easily cover Sasuke's face.

Realization hit Sasuke like a cold slap to the face.

Kakashi was right.

Naruto could have, easily, killed him if he had wanted to. A little ankle wound would never slow down such a large and powerful creature.

Sasuke looked at the collar embedded in Naruto's neck, and his stomach dropped into the floor boards.

"_Naruto…I…I'm so sorry…"_

Naruto, unaware of Sasuke's inner turmoil, walked around the Uchiha, rubbing against him in a cat like manner.

Sasuke snapped out of his reverie when he felt Naruto's many lush tails wrap around him, warming his body chilled from the winter wind outside instantly.

Kakashi smiled. He knew that Naruto was affectionate by nature, but obviously he was also clueless to Sasuke's debate over his feelings for the young Analiax.

Naruto nudged Sasuke forward, and Sasuke walked over to the fire, sitting down in front of it to warm himself more.

Naruto lay down behind him, nestling Sasuke in his golden fur. Sasuke cautiously laid back into it, and realized just how soft Naruto's fur really was. It was wispy and smooth like silk, but a thousand times warmer and more comforting.

Naruto overlapped Sasuke with one of his nine tails, creating a blanket, and Sasuke quivered. The sensation of Naruto's fur against his skin sent warm shivers up and down his spine, rippling under his skin in heated waves that cooled in his chest.

Naruto laid his head down by Sasuke's leg, closing his eyes and emitting a sigh that resonated deeply in his throat like a growl.

Sasuke felt his eyelids grow instantly heavy, and he clutched Naruto's tail against him as he let them fall.

* * *

**^^ Review?  
**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune**

**Translated by Gomi-kun  
**


	9. Black Bound Parchment

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None! **

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Sorry for the wait! A big thanks to Kanashana for sending me a PM about updating this and getting me into action!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Black Bound Parchment  
**

--

Iruka stood by an open window in the grand hall, biting his claws until they became dull.

The king and queen were consistent people. They always had a plan, always knew where they were going, when they were going, how they were going. If anything unexpected came up, the queen would be flustered and the king would be slapped by her, whether or not it was his fault…which most of the time it was. So it was only natural that Iruka did not expect to see a messenger sparrow come flying in through the window and perch itself on the edge.

Iruka untied the small rolled up piece of parchment from the bird's ankle. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of silver, and flicked it into the air. The sparrow leapt up, and in a stream of light, transformed into a young teenage boy, about thirteen. The boy caught the silver piece, clapping it between his hands as he landed.

"Thank ya' Professor," he said, grinning widely. The boy's hair was spiked upward naturally, defying gravity altogether. Around his neck was a red sash, the rest of his body covered by a black tank top and brown trousers. From his back sprouted a set of folded sparrow wings with black and brown feathers aligning the sides of his arms.

"I didn't know you were the messenger accompanying the king and queen," Iruka said as he neatly sliced off the seal on the letter with his claw.

"Yea, they let me come!" Konohamaru said, puffing out his chest and giving his wings a flit.

Konohamaru was not a member of the castle, but other non-royal analiaxes were encouraged to work for the castle. Jobs there paid well and were not only easy but allowed access to all the libraries and combat areas on the grounds. It was this way that Iruka became a respected professor to the prince.

Iruka scanned his eyes over the letter and groaned a moment later.

"What what what?" Konohamaru chirped.

"Nothing," Iruka grumbled.

"Nah, I wanna see!" Konohamaru jumped, and in a small burst of light flittered through the air as a sparrow.

He maneuvered around Iruka, tugging at the paper and chirping as he tried to snatch it.

"Kono- ah, Konohamaru stop!" Iruka said, waving the paper around and trying to shoo the sparrow.

Konohamaru attempted to halt as the paper thwacked him and he tumbled to the ground.

"Ooh! Konohamaru I'm sorry!" Iruka said, leaning down by the fallen sparrow, whom has just changed back into a boy.

"S'ok," Konohamaru grinned. Konohamaru, as most young bird Analiaxes, was not a very good flyer. He had trouble dodging and keeping up his stamina, and had to take breaks when delivering a message through the rain. If there was a storm he was too frightened to fly out into it. This would seem to be an inconvenient messenger, but the castle gladly accepted young Analiaxes as messengers to let them gain experience.

"Sooooo, what's in it!?" Konohamaru pouted.

Iruka rolled his eyes. "The king and queen are returning three days early from their trading venture. That means they'll be here in five days," Iruka grumbled.

"Aw hell I knew that!"

"Language," Iruka said strictly.

"Sorry. Is Naruto-sama around? I wanna see him soooo bad! He promised to show me how to handle a sword all fancy like!"

Iruka scratched the back of his head.

"He's…um…"

"Ummm?"

"O-on a small vacation."

"Aw man, he promised!"

"You know that Naruto always keeps his promises. Now go get some water and be off with you to the king and queen.

Iruka sighed when Konohamaru left.

If the king and queen found out about Naruto's "vacation", then not only would Iruka be in trouble, but the prince would be punished. And Naruto did not take punishment well.

* * *

Over the span of the past three days, Naruto had lost his mechanical way of speaking after Kakashi had taught him a little common English slang such as making "don't know" into "dunno" if he saw fit. Kakashi was aware that it wasn't proper, but he wasn't an English professor, and Naruto deserved to be able to understand the way humans butchered their language.

Naruto had almost memorized the dictionary and the thesaurus became superfluous. Sasuke had found the fox reading as many books as possible during the nights and times when Sasuke was away with his brother.

Kakashi realized that he would soon need to travel to the library for more books, as Naruto had already read through almost all of his expansive collection. The only bookshelf that Naruto had not explored extensively was a small one in Sasuke's room by his dresser. It contained no more that four to six books, all thin paper backs and one hard cover. The Uchiha had made it clear that Naruto was not to touch any books on that shelf, but had freedom to investigate any others in the castle.

Naruto did not have a strong will when it came to doing what he was told.

* * *

Naruto yawned and stretched out in front of the fire in his small fox form.

After three more hours of study Kakashi had granted him a break, and now, as the blond saw, said professor's face was melted into a book on his desk, snoring noises emitting from him as he breathed.

Naruto's ears tipped up mischievously as his foxy lips curved into a grin.

Sasuke was away with his brother in the next kingdom, not due to return later that night. Kakashi was asleep. The guards were off duty. And Naruto was wide awake and parched with curiosity.

He lifted his body from the warm oak floor, stretching his back legs one more time before padding out of the room as quickly as possible.

He trotted up the stairs swiftly and down the north hall, ducking behind shelves and decorations as maids passed.

He continued, a wisp of blond and white fur, until he reached Sasuke's room and slid in, closing the door with his back paw and returning to his regular form.

Sasuke had started to leave the door to his room open when he was away the moment he discovered Naruto curling up against his bed covers for a cat nap in the afternoon.

Naruto approached the shelf as if it were the Holy Grail, cautiously but eagerly. His tail twitched and fingers tickled as he reached for the first paperback book.

He flipped through it, and his Cheshire grin contorted into a pouty frown when he saw numbers an percentages for the castle's treasury and spending.

He threw the book over his shoulder, rolling his eyes as he picked up the next.

More numbers.

The book careened to the carpet as Naruto flourished a third book. This book was a duplicate of one of Jonathon Swift's pieces of work that he had already read.

Numbers, familiar sentences and covers, and unappealing histories of the kingdom made Naruto's ears drop a level each time, until there was only the hardcover book left on the shelf.

Naruto picked it up disdainfully, feeling a bit mislead, and looked at the cover.

A blank black.

He turned it over to the back.

Black.

He opened up the cover and looked at its inside.

Black.

It was just a book for spare parchment!

Naruto sighed exaggeratedly as he tossed the hardcover harder than the others. It made a thunk as it hit the wall and collapsed to the floor, open halfway.

"_Better put these back the way they were if I want to keep Sasuke from breathing fire,"_ the blond thought, and proceeded over to the rejected books, picking them up in the order he had thrown them and settling them back in their comfy places on the small shelf.

He reached for the hardcover book last, but stopped when he saw writing inside of it.

How could this book have words in it when it had no cover picture? No description? No title?

Naruto sat down cross-legged on the navy carpet as he roamed his eyes over the page.

_August 17__th_

_Father insists that I study harder if I hope to be as good as Itachi at anything. I hate how they always compare me to him. Itachi, Itachi, Itachi! Just for once I'd like my father to see that I can be better than him at something. Mother always praises me and tells me that Itachi and I are two separate people and that it's wrong for my father to compare us. Sometimes I wonder how mother could marry such a grouch._

_-Sasuke, 11_

Naruto blinked, mouth agape.

Were these Sasuke's thoughts? Was this where he wrote down what happened in his day to day life? What humans called a diary, or a journal?

Naruto's ears perked in glee. He remembered picking up a journal under Sasuke's pillow his first night with the Uchiha, and this must've been it! Naruto had been taught human writing by analiax professors, but he learned from his lessons with Kakashi that they did a poor job, simply because they hadn't heard the language enough. But Naruto was extremely fluent now.

He could finally find out more about Sasuke!

Naruto scrambled over to the bed, making himself comfy amongst the covers and pillows as he settled down with Sasuke's journal. He realized that it was in invasion of privacy, but he was also aware that if he asked Sasuke about his childhood or earlier life he would just "hn" him.

This was a thousand words better than a "hn".

Naruto flipped a few pages ahead.

_December 21__st_

_Father and Itachi have been arguing much more lately. Mother sends me to my room when they argue so I don't hear a lot of what they're talking about, but I sneaked down to the courtyard last night to eavesdrop. Father was yelling at Itachi about taking over the kingdom, getting married, running the country right and how exactly to run it. Itachi said that he didn't want to rule to kingdom by father's standards or any other or get married. Father told him that unless he did that another Uchiha clan member would take his place as king, one way or another. Itachi looked really mad when father left. He's been spending less time with me and doesn't speak around the family. I wonder if things will be alright?_

_-Sasuke, 11_

Naruto's ears dropped slightly in sadness.

He knew what it felt like having everyone compare you to someone greater. Naruto, being a bloodline descendent of the Kyuubi and the last of his kind, was often compared to the Kyuubi herself and expected to do great things and to be a young prodigy. Naruto tried his best to live up to everyone's standards, but it was difficult when the bar was set so high.

Naruto sighed as he continued, skipping a few more pages.

_January 26__th_

_Mother and father were found dead today._

_-Sasuke, 12_

Naruto stopped. His ears sunk to his head as he looked at the large expanse of empty space on the page. The page seemed as though something had dripped on it, the paper stiffer than the rest and crinkly. It looked almost like water drops…

"_Or tears?"_ Naruto thought. He turned to the next immediate page.

_February 7__th_

_It's been reported that the rest of the Uchiha clan has been killed. Itachi and I are the last surviving members. At the funeral for our parents Itachi didn't cry. He didn't even looks sad. I tried to keep myself from crying, but I couldn't. I guess I'm just not strong enough._

"Yes you are Sasuke!" Naruto suddenly burst, closing his mouth quickly should anyone out in the halls hear him.

_This may sound strange, but I have a feeling that Itachi killed the clan. I need to find out. Many people are being charged with the murder, but all the professors say it looked like a one man job. I believe that man is my brother._

Naruto turned to the next page…but it was blank. Had Sasuke stopped writing? Naruto grasped the rest of the pages between his thumb and the side of his forefinger, the let the pages slip between them, scanning the pages as they flipped.

He was ready to stop when he suddenly saw writing three quarters into the journal. It was one sentence.

_February 2__nd_

_More proof extends my belief that Itachi is the alleged killer of the clan._

_-Sasuke, 16_

Sixteen? Had Sasuke stopped writing in his journal from the time he was twelve to sixteen? What had happened during those four blank years?

Naruto continued to the next pages, again all one sentence.

_June 18__th_

_The more evidence I find of Itachi's guiltiness the more I am pressured by my will to continue._

_-Sasuke, 16_

_November 13__th_

_Itachi has been asking to see me more often, no doubt suspecting the research I've been doing on the clan's death._

_-Sasuke, 16_

_April 7__th_

_I am tired of being locked up in the castle all day forced to study and practice combat._

_-Sasuke 17_

Naruto could certainly relate to that one.

_September 29__th_

_Itachi's rule is anything but what my father had wanted for the country._

_-Sasuke, 18_

_May 31__st_

_Itachi is becoming exceedingly suspicious._

_-Sasuke, 18_

Naruto rose an eyebrow when he saw the next entry actually full and many sentences.

_December 16__th_

_Today while on the morning hunt I found a fox that had caught it's ankle in one of the bear mouth traps in the forest. It was not the fox that had originally been released. It was a light golden color, fur rich and lush, tail and ears tipped snow white. Its eyes were an azure blue- no, deeper, almost like sapphires. It seemed to trust me after I freed it from the trap. I didn't want it to be killed on Itachi's stupid orders, so I secretly brought it back to the castle. Maybe I'll be able to care for it until it heals._

_-Sasuke, 18_

Naruto couldn't help the wide smile from stretching across his face. For the first time in years Sasuke had written about something other than Itachi, and it was because of him! And a whole paragraph no less!

_December 17__th_

_As soon as I brought the fox in it started howling, so I bathed it and tended to its wound. I have to admit, its fur was really soft and felt kinda nice brushing up against me when I slept. I had a weird dream that night. I saw this blond hovering over me, but he had two gold fox ears. I remembered calling him "cute", kissing him, and going back to bed. Weird._

_-Sasuke, 18_

Naruto for some reason felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he remembered his first kiss with Sasuke. He shook his head and turned a page.

_December 24__th_

_It's been a week since I took the fox in, and I can't deny that I've grown fond of it. I decided to call it Naruto on the recommendation of Kakashi. Weird, but coming from him I'm not surprised. I've become accustomed to waking up and stroking Naruto's fur, and to take him out and watch him hunt. Naruto's ankle is healing moderately. But when the time comes to release him, I'm not sure I'll be able to…_

_-Sasuke, 18_

Naruto swallowed. Not be able to? Did Sasuke…really feel that attached to him?

_December 24__th_

_After a mishap with my Tamer's dagger I discovered that Naruto is an Analiax, the creature I have sworn to kill on sight. I had him over the bench in my mother's garden, ready to get it over with quickly…but I couldn't do it. The demon didn't even struggle, almost like it understood what I had to do. This was still Naruto, the fox I had grown close to. My best friend._

_-Sasuke, 18_

Naruto's tail was a blur as it wagged uncontrollably beside him on the bed. Best friend; he was Sasuke's best friend! Naruto had never had a best friend before, and knew by definition of human's that it was the person a human felt the most companionship with. Him! A best friend! Naruto smiled brightly as his tail continued its hysterics and he turned the page.

_December 31__st_

_I have been having thoughts about Naruto. Strange ones. In the study I caressed Naruto's tail in an affectionate way without even meaning to, but Naruto said that he didn't dislike it. What does that mean? That the sensation is nice…or because I'm the one doing it? I find myself craving for more time with Naruto. Watching him smile while he takes his lessons with Kakashi, or waking up to him every morning…make me very happy. I feel a burning in my chest when I think of him this way, and it spreads like hot coals through my body until I am engulfed by the comforting warmth. Should I see a doctor to rectify this? Or…or do I possess feelings for Naruto?_

_-Sasuke, 18_

Naruto swallowed hard.

Feelings? For him? And what had he meant when he told Sasuke that he didn't mind the lover's caress he had given his tail? Naruto knew that it was pleasurable, but was it because Sasuke was performing the action that he loved it so much?

Naruto licked his lips, afraid to turn the page. What Sasuke was feeling mirrored what Naruto was in the exact way. Could this rising warmth, this feeling they both shared, be…be something to notice? To be concerned about?

Naruto bit his lip as he turned the page.

_January 7__th_

_My "feelings" as I've dubbed them have grown painfully stronger. I feel the immense urge to always be with Naruto, and become slightly panicked when he leaves my side for more than a few minutes. Even when I take him out to hunt and he is gone for a hour, my body almost feels icy without his warmth beside me. The itch to kiss, touch, feel, anf hug him is unbearable. I truly believe that I have feelings more than friendship, more than brotherly affection for Naruto. I love him…truly, deeply. Sadly I can't act on them. I don't want Naruto to ever feel uncomfortable around me, and confessing my thoughts and feelings for him most certainly would. Naruto is also the very being that I have sworn to kill. No matter how much I want it Naruto and I could never be together without taking the war to a whole new level with us. We both have our own live in what seems to be different worlds. We have our own kingdoms to rule and can't be distracted with any type of "feelings" toward one another. When Naruto is healed he will go back to the Analiax kingdom, as I had first planned. I'll savor every moment I have left with Naruto, since his ankle is almost fully healed. Although I can't show Naruto the affection of a lover as I wish to, I can still look forward to Naruto's "good morning" kisses. I have to wonder though if during the little time we have left to spend together Naruto will learn the second definition of the word "kiss". The real one._

_-Sasuke, 18_

Naruto didn't know that warm water drops were running down his cheeks until a droplet clinging to his chin fell and burst on the bottom of the journal entry where Sasuke's name was written.

Naruto frantically turned the page, almost ripping it in the process, only to be greeted by a blank page.

He breathed in deeply through his nose, releasing the quivering breath through his barely parted lips.

Sasuke loved him. He was in love with him. A _human_ was in love with him.

Naruto bent his head down to rest his forehead in his palm as his thoughts froze, and then speed through his mind over and over again like a broken record player.

Sasuke loved him.

Sasuke loved him.

Sasuke _loved_ him.

* * *

**Thus the truth has been revealed! Again I want to thank Kanashana for noting me about updating this story. Just to let you all know, if I don't update in a while just send me a note to kick me in my butt and get me moving ;p**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune  
**


	10. When the World was Perfect

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: I'm too tired to type any comment...zzzzzzzzzzzzz  
**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: When the World was Perfect  
**

--

"Sasuke," Naruto managed to crack. He wrapped his arms around his body and gripped his shoulders as if embracing himself, eyes shuddering under their closed lids.

Suddenly Naruto cried out and gasped as he felt like a lightening bolt had struck his abdomen, and he curled his arms around his middle, holding it tightly.

His skin became hot, his ears pinning to his head and his tail fanning out in distress. Another painful jab and he doubled over off the bed and onto the floor.

He remembered this pain. This was the same unbearable pain he had felt when Sasuke had first kissed him in his sleep, only much worse.

Naruto felt molten lava course through what he knew were the Kyuubi bloodline markings over his stomach. He lifted up his shirt, eyes clenched shut in pain, and moved a hand over the markings. He gasped and pulled his hand back, the markings far too hot to even graze with his fingertips. Naruto brought his knees to his chest, grasping them to have something, anything to hold on to so he wouldn't fall off the precipice of agony.

"Sasu…" he breathed, opening his eyes a sliver before shutting them again almost immediately. _"…need you…"

* * *

_

If there was anything that Sasuke hated more than visiting the neighboring kingdom with his brother, it was that said kingdom was ruled by his unbearably annoying cousin Sai, who loved to throw unnecessary parties.

Sasuke managed to escape a long-winded conversation with Sai, preferring to brood in the corner as he watched the rest of the nobles including his brother mingle amongst themselves.

Sasuke suddenly choked on air, and he stumbled where he stood as if a nail had just been hammered into his neck. He breathed deeply, in and out. Perhaps it was just a cramp?

Sasuke doubled over halfway once more, and he deemed that this was definitely not a cramp. With a tremendous amount of strain Sasuke left the dining hall appearing as his completely normal, stoic self. After he reached the empty adjacent hall he released the breath he had been holding before it was sucked from his very lungs as a violent burst of heat slammed his entire body.

He fell over from the sheer physical force, gasping and clutching his stomach as his throat seemed to close up. His skin felt hot and sweat accumulated as if he were wearing three winter coats under the blazing summer sun. A tear managed to squeeze out of the corner of his eye as he opened his mouth to let out a unvoiced cry of pain.

He instinctively gripped the back of his neck as more needles and stabs were directed towards it, but he immediately pulled his hand away as his skin seared and burned his palm.

"_Sa-"_

Sasuke's eyes snapped opened as he clearly distinguished Naruto's voice from the loud hammering of his heart in his ears that seemed to overpower everything, even his own thoughts.

"_Sas…"_

"Naruto," Sasuke gasped, clutching his midsection tighter.

"…_ne-….uo…"_

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, thick with sweat. Naruto? He could hear his voice, he knew he could. It sounded so clear, as if Naruto were speaking right next to him.

"…_need you…"_

"_I'm here Naruto."_

In Sasuke's kingdom in his own room located within the castle Naruto's eyes widened and his gasps of distress and pain became more apparent.

"_Sasuke…? I can hear you?"_

"_Yes,"_ Sasuke replied, closing his eyes in relief. Naruto could hear him. _"And I can hear you."_

"_Sasuke…Sasuke please help…I'm in so much pain Sasuke…" _Naruto pleaded.

"_I am too."_

Naruto let out a quivering breath.

"_What's happening Sasuke?"_

"_I don't know."_ There was a long pause and Sasuke began to worry a little. _"Naruto?"_ His heartbeat quickened as he heard no reply. _"Naruto??"_

"_Sas…"_

"_Naruto, you have to stay awake with me, alright? I know it hurts but I'll find a way to stop it."_

"………"

"_Naruto!"_

"_Sasuke…what is the real…definition of a kiss?"_

Sasuke blinked several times. _"…what?"_

"_Tell me…please."_

Sasuke curled in on himself more as the pain morphed from stabbing to throbbing.

"_I…don't know Naruto."_

"_I know you do!" _Naruto shouted mentally to Sasuke, and he whimpered as another flash of white hot lava scorched the writhing veins under his tan skin.

"_Why do you need to know?"_

"_Because you want me to know."_

Sasuke's paused as he scanned over Naruto's statement, and after a pause his eyes widened.

"_I told you never to look on that shelf!"_

"_I need to know!"_

Sasuke felt the redness on his cheeks from the blinding heat rise with his anger. Naruto looked in his private shelf when the library in the castle had hundreds of books. Hundreds! And worse yet, Naruto was now aware of Sasuke's feelings and would begin to avoid him. Being in the same room together would not be the same any longer.

"_Humans give kisses to the people they love, Naruto."_

A tear managed to escape from the corner of Naruto's right eye, but he did not speak. He didn't make a sound as his body shuddered uncontrollably from the pain, the heat, and another emotion Naruto couldn't seem to identify in his terribly frenzied mind.

He didn't even have the strength to crane his neck to the right to see Kakashi run into the room, but he felt the man's thundering footsteps. Kakashi's mouth was moving at a rapid pace, but Naruto didn't hear anything, deaf to any sound but his own breathing. Kakashi shook him as if he were asleep, and jerked his hand away as it was burned on the blond's searing abdomen.

Simultaneously, Sasuke was carried away by his brother and cousin when found motionless in the castle hallway, eyes closed.

* * *

Kakashi hadn't been surprised when Itachi had entered his study and unceremoniously dumped an unconscious Sasuke on the couch. Itachi was naturally blasé about his brother's health, and didn't bother to contact a doctor since Kakashi took care of things just fine (at least according to him).

Kakashi sighed as he stood from his desk and scooped Sasuke up into his arms. He carried him to his room, where he had already laid Naruto out on the young Uchiha's bed.

Kakashi examined them side by side, both flushed and panting, bodies quivering slightly. He walked over alongside of Sasuke and lifted his shirt up, hovering a hand over his abdomen. Unlike Naruto's it was not searing with enough intensity to burn him. It was in fact, cool.

Kakashi scratched the side of his nose as he scanned Sasuke up and down. He bent down, seeing stray raven locks dangling over the prince's eyes, and brushed them away. They fell back, and Kakashi placed a hand on Sasuke's neck to tilt his head up and prevent the hair from falling again. He reeled back immediately as searing heat coursed over the surface of his skin.

He walked forward a little more, albeit slowly, and carefully brushed the Uchiha's hair away from the right side of the back of his neck.

A black symbol was printed on the pale skin there, almost like a tattoo; three black comma-like marks formed in a loose circle.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head as he looked from Naruto's symbol to Sasuke's, and he grabbed his notepad from his back pocket, scribbling like his life depended on it.

* * *

Iruka was a patient man. He had to be to teach Naruto. His fuse was extremely long, and never ran out. Thus did he never explode into an emotional tirade. But now he found himself for the first time in his life, one nano-millimeter away from blowing.

The royal guards were not well trained in tracking. They were trained for physical offense, not sniffing out an 18 year-old demon prince gone awry. And so now Iruka found himself shouting to no one in particular about their incompetence as he leapt from the palace window, landing in a flurry of snow upon the ground below and shooting off like a bullet.

If they couldn't find Naruto, then he would.

* * *

As Kakashi had expected, the first to wake ten hours later in the deep night was Naruto.

The blond batted his eyes open, not needing time to adjust since the room was almost as dark as the insides of his eyelids. This presented no problem in actually seeing for Naruto though, his night vision kicking in at once as he sat up on the bed.

Kakashi was asleep in a chair that had been pulled up in front of the bed, his notepad slipping in his palm and pen loosely gripped in his opposite hand. He head was tilted back, eye closed and chest rising in falling in a regular pattern.

Naruto found it better that the man was asleep. He didn't want to talk to Kakashi right now, not when so many things he couldn't figure out were happening at once.

Naruto shifted his gaze to his side where Sasuke lay, appearing to be in a deep and soundless sleep. He placed a hand on the Uchiha's chest, feeling the human's breath fill and leave his lungs, and Naruto felt himself stop breathing. Sasuke was breathing for the both of them, in and out, in and out. His chest rose in perfect harmony with the light wisps of breaths that managed to sneak through his barely parted lips.

Sasuke wouldn't trust Naruto anymore, not after what he had done. Naruto felt Sasuke's anger as he had writhed on the floor in pain. It was hotter than the liquid fire that had been gnashing under surface of his veins. There would be no more good morning kisses, no more cuddling up at night. There would be no more of the two of them.

Naruto stood shakily from the bed, his legs weak and wobbly as if they hadn't been used for decades and were just there for display purposes.

He walked over to the window and sat down cross-legged on the floor so he could look out of it without straining his gelatin legs. Reality had slapped Naruto in the face minutes—no, not even—seconds after he had read Sasuke's journal entry.

How could they be? They were from different worlds so it seemed. They were meant to kill each other, not to love each other. How could they have even become such close friends? Did thoughts of camaraderie push away the taught instinct to kill one another so easily? All that Naruto knew was that the instinct was there. He could feel its pulse inside him.

Naruto rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. The whole ordeal seemed so cliché and dramatic, like something from a fairytale book he had read as a child.

Naruto frowned at the ceiling.

But then, unlike a fairytale, there were things that Sasuke didn't know, _shouldn't_ know about him.

Naruto was reminded of his purpose in the moments after deciphering Sasuke's writings. And that more than anything to him, sealed the reason why he and Sasuke could never be together.

As a child Naruto was not praised and spoken highly to as a young prince should be. Naruto was found in the forest by the queen, a wriggling and crying newborn. She brought him back only to discover the Kyuubi's markings on his navel, and shared her discovery with the kingdom. As the nature of many things, the analiaxes were skeptical. Rumors flew around of the symbol being burned onto the child's stomach just to give them all hope. The rumor was soon dispelled when it reached the queen's ears.

When Naruto was eight the queen allowed him to explore the outside kingdom, always accompanied by Iruka. The things he heard stung him. Whispered words of a stained heir, abandoned and left to die. A whirlpool of bitter susurruses, gaining momentum with the passing of days.

Naruto remembered as much as he could that was said around him before Iruka caught word of it all and the queen confined Naruto to the safe bosom of the castle, sheltering his ears from harshly spat words.

When he was thirteen he stole the key to the scroll room in the tallest tower of the castle, seeking truth.

In the back of his mind he had locked the most occurring rumor he had heard of as a child concerning his purpose.

A prophecy stated that Naruto was not born, but created for the sole purpose of becoming a vessel for the spirit of Kyuubi. When the analiax race was at its breaking point, the Kyuubi herself would be reincarnated within Naruto, replacing his soul with her own. When the analiax were no longer under serious threat, she would disappear, leaving Naruto's dead body and soul behind. Naruto was a tool, destined to be used and then cast away, lifeless.

When Naruto's young fingers found the prophecy scroll, he tore it open, demanding answers.

What he saw did nothing to bring him cheer.

The real prophecy foretold that Naruto was to end the war of humans and demons by gaining a balance of the worlds. In the most critical hour the Kyuubi's power would flow into him, and he would become an embodiment of her. If the war was settled the Kyuubi's power would vanish, taking Naruto with it. If the war was not ended, the Kyuubi's power would engulf him.

He was, as he feared, a worthless tool. No matter what the outcome of the war, he was to die.

Naruto had slipped into a depression after his findings, Iruka being the only person he confided in. Iruka assured Naruto that it was just silly fortune telling from a very long time ago. Naruto did not think a frown suited Iruka, so he agreed and pretended to be his happy self once more. Did no one know him well enough to see through the plastic grins? The cheerful voice?

As a tool Naruto could not be permitted to be with Sasuke, even if he did love him.

Did he? Naruto wasn't dodging the direct question any longer.

He did. Frustratingly so, in fact.

Naruto's frown morphed into a glare, and he leaned forward until his forehead smacked against the window.

* * *

**I'm so tired, its been a stressful semester. I think I'm about to collapse right here -**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune**


	11. Scents

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None! **-

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Wow! So happy that you all like the story so far, but some of you might hate me after this chapter ;p I can hear the bat outside squeaking, no doubt catching mosquitoes. Hurray for bats!

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**

**Reviewer Replies  
**

**To _marinav92_:**** Thank you so very much for being patient! :D I'm a very slow updater so patience will be a virtue here, no doubt!**

**To _VampireNamedRaphael_: You're wait ends here I hope! ;p That's so kind of you to say! I really like the fact that you keep the story fresh in your mind-sometimes I'll read a fic, and then the next chapter is published and I have no idea of what happened beforehand!**

**To _SouriMaxwellYuy068_: Who recommended you? I'd really love to know so I can thank them :D**

**To _Chibiwu_: I don't know, COULD HE! Lol, definitely something to keep in your mind ;p Muahaha I'm so happy when people notice the little things that are important! Yes, you are absolutely treading on crucial plot points! How observant of you! :D**

**To _AngleBadGirl247_: Of course! Naruto will need some help if he wants to get over his "tool" mindset though!**

**To _punkin17_: Thank you!**

**To _kaname-luvr_: I hope you didn't have to wait too long!**

**To _Lightly_: You'll certainly receive your answers in this chapter, I guarantee it! The thing to remember is that the tamer stone collar can only be taken off by the master whom bestowed it. That would mean for Sasuke to give Naruto up...?**

**To _narutolover15_: Thanks so much, I'm honored! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! :D**

**To _KiTsUnE-cHaN18_: Thank you!**

**To : Thank you very much for the review! Hm well this chapter may disappoint you...**

**To _EphemeralJynx13_: Thank you so much! I try to get my readers to feel the emotion as much as possible, so it's a really good sign to me that you were crying lol**

**To _skyglazingMaro_: Talk about hitting the nail on the head!**

**To _ChibiNekoBandit_: It's nice to know that some readers read my little blurbs at the top and bottom of the page :) I managed to sleep like a rock that night, and I'm very awake right now. To make up for the last short chapter, this one will be long ;p Thanks as always for your review and patience!**

**To _wassupkiba_: XD Wait no longer!**

**To DarkRavie: Thank you very much for reviewing!**

**To BlackFireXD13: Oh, how I love long reviews! Naruto could understand a little human language in the beginning but not much ;p Lol, thank you! Kuro is an original character of mine. Maybe I'll bring him back in later ;p I can't reveal much here, but I will say that Madara and Orochimaru will have vital future roles in this story. I will also hint on some kakairu for the future as well! Thank you so much for your lovely review, I am honored! :D

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**Chapter Eleven: Scents  
**

Sasuke scrunched his eyebrows and stretched his lower torso from his midsection, groaning a little.

"About time."

Sasuke opened one eye, closing it immediately and hissing. He opened it back up only a crack, not ready to see the sunlight as Kakashi blurred into view.

"What?" Sasuke slurred hazily.

"I said, 'about time.'"

Sasuke said up, groaning as his body ached, and a colossal shiver wracked his spine.

"You've been asleep a long time there," Kakashi said, turning a page in the book that rested on his lap. Glasses hung on the man's ears, balanced on his nose as his eyes smirked back at Sasuke through their lenses.

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck, hissing when his fingers brushed over a sore spot.

"How long?" he asked.

"Two days."

Sasuke sighed deeply.

"What…what happe— wait, Naruto—where's Naruto?"

Kakashi tilted his head behind Sasuke to the window, and Sasuke turned to find Naruto sitting in front of the window in his small fox form.

"He's been there since he woke up two days ago." Kakashi removed his glasses and shook his head sadly as he stood. "He won't even go out to hunt. I think he's been waiting for you." With that he quietly padded out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Sasuke slowly stood, steadying his weak legs as they supported his weight for the first time in two days. He walked over to Naruto, albeit cautiously.

Naruto didn't move as Sasuke sat down beside him. They didn't speak, both just staring out the window silently.

Sasuke finally sighed.

Before he had blacked out he had realized just how angry he had been at Naruto. But what…what if the blond had the same feelings? Sasuke realized his slim chances, but there was always that little bit of hope, right? Sasuke felt a connection to Naruto stronger than anyone he had ever met. He was almost certain Naruto must've felt it too.

"Naruto…" Sasuke started, pushing himself. "I know that you read my journal. I'm not...what was written there wasn't a lie."

Naruto morphed back into a human, sitting cross-legged beside Sasuke. He shifted his blue eyes to lock with the raven's, and Sasuke noticed just how tired they looked. A dark shade lay under Naruto's eyes, the blue hue of his eyes darker. Had Naruto been staying up all night for the past for days?

For…him?

"Naruto, I know that we aren't from the same worlds but…" Sasuke rubbed the back of his head quickly. "But I don't care. I—I really don't care! Does it matter?"

Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head.

"It does, Sasuke," he said, his voice quiet. "It matters a lot. We were raised to kill each other. One of us should already be dead right now."

Sasuke shook his head.

"You're wrong. And you were right before Naruto, when you said we're connected. Analiax or human, we're all connected because we're _alive_."

Sasuke reached his hands forward and tilted Naruto's face to look at him, and was stunned as the comforting hand was smacked away harshly.

Naruto's sapphire eyes churned to a dangerous violet storm.

Naruto's claws dug into the floor beneath him as anger suddenly fueled his soul. Loving Sasuke, this human, made him so frustrated with himself. Beings that destroyed everything they touched, and Naruto _loved_ one of them? And in his one agonizing moment of pain, all Sasuke did was yell at him for disobeying.

Naruto's canines grit painfully hard together as he snarled at his beloved. He knew that he was stupidly angry, but it was for the best.

For both of them.

"What the hell would you know about being connected to me?" he hissed, ears pressing back against his head and tail flaring. Sasuke took a step back as Naruto stood and approached him, eyes bleeding to a deep wine red. "The hell would you know anything about me!"

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wh—"

"If you really loved me then you wouldn't have done this to me!" Naruto shouted, slashing his collar fruitlessly, sparks flying from it.

"I didn't know better then!" Sasuke shouted back.

"And what, you think you know better now?" Naruto and Sasuke circled each other now, and Naruto lowered on all fours to the ground, changing into his gargantuan nine-tailed fox form. "Humans will never learn. Love?" Naruto snorted. "Love does not involve imprisonment in this place!"

"Then leave!" Sasuke shouted, anger bubbling up inside of him as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the fox.

"Oh gladly, _master,_" Naruto said, venom dripping on the last word. "That is why I have stayed up these past days—so that you may remove this wretched thing and I will leave this place for good!"

Sasuke shook his head, trying to clear the anger from his eyes.

"Why? Do you really want to leave so badly, Naruto!" he said, body quivering with restrained emotions and rage.

"I have a kingdom to lead into battle!" Naruto roared. "And as far as I'm concerned the only love that I need is worth much more than that of a worthless human; my mate awaits my return as we speak." Saying such foul things hurt more than Naruto had thought they would, but he couldn't stop now.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he took a new grip on the tamer sword with a vengeance.

"You have a mate!" he boomed, wanting nothing more than to slash Naruto with his sword and make him take back those words, to tell him that they were a rage induced a lie.

"Don't talk like you aren't looking for one!" Naruto retaliated. "I smell the pheromones practically dripping off of you when you return from your little visits to other kingdoms, no doubt in search of a mate!"

"I was," Sasuke said, blood burning with rage and desperation. "I thought I had found one."

The venom drained from Naruto's eyes as he watched Sasuke throw down in his sword in restrained, but anguished defeat.

"_No, pick it back up!"_ Naruto thought to himself, growling. His blue eyes widened as Sasuke turned and walked to the door, and with a roar Naruto pounced.

Sasuke turned in time to see a wolf-like figure suddenly crash through the palace window, knocking Naruto down in mid-pounce. The blond's surprised face disappeared in a puff of smoke as he was forcibly changed into his small fox form

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, turning back and picking up his sword, pointing it menacingly at the wolf.

Naruto dangled between the beast's teeth unconsciously, and Sasuke's eyes fell upon the scar over the wolf's muzzle.

It's ears suddenly pricked up, and it swiftly leapt back through the broken window just as Kakashi opened the door.

He looked at Sasuke's fighting stance, and then at the broken window.

"I thought I heard something," he said. He looked around quizzically. "Where is Naruto?"

Sasuke threw down his sword at the mention of the name, storming to his room and locking the door.

* * *

Naruto squinted his eyes as he awoke, shards of sunlight beaming down on him harshly.

His ears pricked up as he heard whispers, and he opened his eyes fully to the gaze of the royal staff. He pulled his ears back as they all went in a tizzy, shouting about how he was awake and firing off questions with no hesitation.

Naruto saw that among the faces was Gaara, looking down at him with quiet concern.

"Alright, alright, all of you as you were!" Iruka said, dispersing the little crowd. "Shoo! Shoo now, all of you!" Gaara turned to leave. "Except you, Sabaku-san, of course you need not go."

Naruto blinked as Iruka's face came into view. "How are you feeling, young prince?"

Dazed, Naruto pushed himself up with one hand, the other flying out blindly to grip something. It caught on Gaara's outstretched hand and he was able to fully tug himself upright. "Ugh," he said, holding a hand to his head. "How did I get here?"

"Well the guards were incapable of tracking you down, so I decided to do it myself. Sorry for the surprise but there was no time to waste when I saw that you had bee captured by humans."

"Hu-" Naruto stopped himself as everything came back to him. His eyes lowered to half mast and he smiled bitterly.

"_Either way, we're both back to where we should be now, Sasuke."_

"Sasuke?" Naruto looked up at Iruka. "Naruto, who is Sasuke?"

"Huh?"

"You just said the name aloud."

"Oh…it's nothing. No one." Naruto reached up to touch his neck only to feel bandages wrapped around it securely.

"Unfortunate, that that wound on your neck." Naruto looked up at Iruka. The man raised his eyebrows a little. "But hopefully it should heal in time. We need not worry Sabaku-san or the king and queen about it, isn't that right?"

Naruto nodded slowly as he and Iruka exchanged silent messages with their eyes.

Iruka's face softened as Naruto yawned widely.

"I can tell that you're exhausted, so I'll leave Gaara to attend to you now. Anyways it is midnight, and I must retire myself. You were out for some time you know."

Naruto watched as Iruka walked briskly down the hallway, a resounding slam of the great door shutting indicating that he and Gaara were now very much alone in the throne room.

Naruto cleared his throat, the silence hanging above them awkwardly. He gasped a little as Gaara suddenly scooped him up in his arms and opened the door to the main hall. Naruto didn't speak as the redhead carried him to his room, shutting the door before gingerly placing him on his bed.

Naruto admitted that he missed his room, filled with his own, comforting scent. He looked down at the floor as Gaara sat beside him on the bed.

"The King and Queen are arriving back early tomorrow," the man finally said.

"Oh," Naruto replied. This meant that his coronation would be within the week, and Naruto had to be mated to Gaara by then.

Gaara practically shot up from the bed as Naruto bowled him over, holding him down hard and pressing their lips together firmly.

Gaara simply blinked as Naruto separated from Gaara's lips and looked at him expectantly.

"What was that?" he asked.

"A kiss," Naruto scoffed, grinning as if it were the dumbest question in the world.

'What's a ka-iss?" Gaara asked, and Naruto's grin slowly faded. Kisses only existed to humans.

"Nothing," Naruto said half-heartedly. He looked down at Gaara as pale finger wove into the golden locks tickling the nape of his neck, and he pressed his head against the fingers wantonly, their texture just like Sasuke's.

"Naruto, you realize we have to be mated very soon," Gaara said, and Naruto nodded, closing his eyes and relishing in the touch of skin on skin.

Gaara swallowed thickly. "Now would be the opportune time, don't you think?"

Naruto nodded, then stopped as his eyes opened and he deciphered what Gaara had just said.

"Mate…now?"

Gaara nodded.

Naruto realized that he still had Gaara pinned and scrambled off of him. He barely had time to recover as Gaara leaned into him and brushed his lips against the tan skin of Naruto's neck, and the blond caught his breath.

Gaara wrapped his silken raccoon tail around Naruto's golden ones and a quiver rumbled quietly through him from head to toe. This, he decided, was the equivalent of a human kiss.

Naruto let Gaara push him back on the bed as his claws delicately trailed under his shirt and charted a path up the golden expanse of hidden skin.

Naruto groaned in his throat as Gaara bit down on the crossroads of his neck and shoulder, a rippling, possessive growl escaping the man's pale lips.

Naruto's hand drifted down Gaara's pants just above his arousal before trailing back up. Gaara growled again, biting Naruto a little harder that did nothing but tear another groan from the fox's mouth.

Naruto's remaining eight tails all unfurled in a breath of light, wrapping around Gaara's in a tight embrace. The man groaned heatedly into Naruto's neck, his breath electrifying the skin there.

Naruto's ears pulled back in ecstasy, drinking in all the needless attention, and bathing in every second of it.

"Sasuke," he breathed for only himself, only his ears to hear.

Gaara peeled Naruto's shirt off and rubbed against his skin in an almost feline manner.

Naruto was in bliss, his senses tingling to their very core and spreading in hot waves.

…and then it was gone.

Naruto's ears pulled back in frustration.

"What?" he said a little impatiently as Gaara paused his ministrations.

"You are drenched with the scent of a human on your skin," Gaara replied in the same, if not slightly irritated monotone as always.

Naruto's ear twitched. "Well that was a human dominated kingdom," he said. "There were loads of them everywhere."

Gaara narrowed his eyes to the skin on Naruto's chest. "This is not the faint scent of many humans, but a strong scent of one, intimate human."

Naruto could have slapped himself for not ridding himself of Sasuke's scent before doing anything with Gaara. He was so used to smelling like Sasuke that it was almost natural. But now, surrounded by the scent of the Analiaxes, of home, of his room, he realized how pungent Sasuke's scent was hanging off of him.

A jealous wave curled in Gaara's abdomen, briefly shown on his face before fading back to his unemotional state.

"You have been touched by a human," he said quite levelly.

"I—"

"You've been _touched_ by a _human_," Gaara repeated, growling with a little venom this time.

Naruto remained silent as the redhead traced the seal on his abdomen with a clawed hand.

"Touched, but not mated," he said with finality. His eyes flicked up to Naruto's with a predatory gleam. "This will never happen again, as after tonight you will be covered _only_ with my scent."

Naruto watched Gaara warily as his raccoon tail flicked agitatedly behind him.

"We were meant to mate," Naruto confirmed. "You need not worry about me smelling of human ever again. I do not plan on returning to that place."

Naruto shivered as Gaara wrapped his tail around a golden leg, brushing against it like fine silk. He leaned in close to Naruto's ear, his heady breath rushing like a storm.

"I only want to smell the stench of human blood on the battle field."

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**Some of you will now probably want to throw things at me for being so cruel...**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune  
**

y


	12. Energy

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None! **-

**Sky-eyed Kitsune:I'm really sorry it took so long and I admire everyone's patience! Let's just go ahead and get right down to it...**

**Chapter Twelve: Energy**

It had not been an easy to fall asleep without Naruto beside him.

Sasuke was too used to that velveteen tail that wrapped around his waist, and the faultless skin that teased him in the moon-drenched hours of the night. But now, finally, after his incessant episodes of tossing and turning, he could feel the blush of sleep creeping up on him. He welcomed it more than ever before.

Sasuke's eyelids began to lower as he drifted into the abyss of slumber, and he released a yawn for good measure.

He brushed the hair away from his ears as a hot breeze blew past it. He was almost admitted into the realm of sleep when he twitched and a hand flew to his ear as something sharp nicked it.

Sasuke sat up in bed, brushing off his pillow. He turned it over and under, inspecting it. He deemed it spotless and ignored the dull throb of his ear as he closed his eyes once more.

Sasuke quivered a little as he felt a prickling sensation on his neck, and he clasped it only to feel that the area was much warmer than the rest of his body. But, not feeling like getting up now that he was finally tired, Sasuke took the pillow beside him with his own and sandwiched his head in between them.

His eyelids lowered to half-mast as he felt that creeping sensation of near slumber upon him.

* * *

Naruto unconsciously placed a hand on his abdomen, his Kyuubi markings hot underneath. Gaara didn't seem to notice as he removed the blond's clothing, wrapping his tail around one of Naruto's nine tighter and tighter.

Naruto could help but shiver when black claws meandered under his shirt and up his sides, lips teasing and nipping his ear. He winced when Gaara sunk his black claws just deep enough to entice blood, lifting his hand to his face and licking the substance off his fingers appreciatively.

Naruto had known that mating in general could be rough, especially if you had a possessive and dominating partner. However Naruto couldn't help but wish he was mating with another Kyuubi bloodline like himself.

Kyuubi no kitsunes were spectacular and loyal lovers to one another, maintaining a gentle ferocity when mating. Of course they were just as possessive, if not more that most mated pairs, but they would never intentionally harm their mate.

Even a little.

* * *

Sasuke abruptly smacked one of his sides as he felt something trail along them in an almost tickling sensation.

He jolted up in bed a second later as something sharp punctured his skin, and he hastily lifted his shirt to his abused side, sure he was bleeding.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow when he saw nothing but bare milky skin, though the sensation of dripping blood didn't abandon him.

* * *

Naruto responded minimally to Gaara's loving as the redhead purred in his throat and intertwined their tails in kiss after kiss.

Better yet, Naruto thought, if Sasuke had been a kitsune...

Naruto felt his eyes drop to the side.

"_Sasuke..."_

* * *

Sasuke looked around the room in a frenzy as he suddenly heard his name being called...

…by Naruto?

Sasuke leaned over the side of the bed and rubbed his temple with his forefinger and thumb. Naruto still plagued his mind, that was for sure, but even Sasuke found it unusual to hear Naruto, sounding so crisp and clear, calling his name like he had never left.

* * *

Naruto bit his lip harshly as Garra slid his shirt off, a sinking weight molding a hole in the blond's stomach.

This wasn't what he wanted. He wanted a mate, a lover, not a friend.

Naruto's eyelids lowered slightly.

Then again, he didn't really have many other options. Denying this now would mean the disapproval of the king and the queen, the loss of a potential mate, the disappointment of Iruka, the failure of creating an heir, and worst of all it seemed, the resentment of himself for not fulfilling his duties as future king.

Naruto's chin was tipped up until his eyes met Gaara's, and without a word he knew what came next.

The analiax marking on Gaara's forehead began to glow a bright red, as did Naruto's markings on his abdomen.

Using a sharp canine Gaara cut a thin line across his wrist, blood immediately spilling forth. He stared down at Naruto expectantly, who swallowed dryly. It wasn't as if he wasn't well versed in the mating process—hell it was the only thing Iruka would teach him nowadays as he prepared to take on a life partner.

Life…they would be together for life…

There was no going back after the ritual was complete.

Naruto slowly brought his wrist to his mouth, nicking his skin on a sharp canine. He could feel his bleeding arm shaking, but he suppressed the quivers. This wasn't something he had a choice on. He picked Gaara, they were both royal, both to be mated; there was nothing to think about.

Gaara pressed his red wrist to the symbol on Naruto's abdomen, and the blond hissed in pain. He retracted his arm, and Naruto mimicked the redhead's action, pressing his own blood against the marking on Gaara's forehead.

Gaara visibly stiffened, breathing in deeply through his nostrils to suppress the twinge of pain.

Their eyes locked, both churning into a crimson hue as the strain of pure demon in their blood was brought bubbling to the surface.

Gaara's hair spiked up with more ferocity, blood red energy flowing over him in visible waves. His teeth elongated and body became much more defined, tail splitting into two and black claws more prominent.

"**Naruto,"** Gaara said, his voice much deeper. Hearing his name Naruto cringed a little, looking up into Gaara's handsome demon face.

Naruto mentally sighed, orange visible energy also engulfing him as his hair grew longer, body defined, and tails grew a thicker scarlet red color, flowing and gathering around him. Both of their transformations complete, clothes were tossed aside like pieces of filth, until they both lay bare.

"_This is it…"_ Naruto thought as he closed his eyes, Gaara staring down at him hungrily.

"_Sasuke…I wish it were you I was mating with."_

"**You're mine now," **Gaara growled possessively in his throat, running his bare body along Naruto's.

"_Sasuke."_

Naruto scrunched his eyes tighter as unwelcome hands traversed his body.

"_Sasuke!"_

* * *

Sasuke tossed and turned in his bed, half asleep as Naruto's voice echoed in his head.

"_Sasuke…"_

The raven threw off his sheets, hot and sweaty as he thrashed, sensations of power, lust and grief filling his mind dangerously to the brim at the point of overflowing.

Shadowy flashes of pale hands and red hair hovering over Naruto overwhelmed his senses, anger prickling precariously under his skin.

The feeling of grief, and now, lost hope suddenly washed over him, and he bolted upright in bed, flinging out his arms and crying, "NO!"

* * *

"NO!" Naruto shouted, a burst of blue energy shooting from his outstretched arms and sending Gaara flying across the room until he hit a bookcase on the other side, causing an avalanche of hardbacks and old texts to bury him.

Naruto panted deeply, droplets of sweat perspiring on his golden skin and hands gripping the bed sheets as if they were the only anchor holding him to reality.

Naruto fell back onto his bed, his form returning to normal. He clutched his abdomen in pain, mind dizzy with unfamiliar but spectacular power. He managed to push himself up through the pain to a sitting position on his bed, and as he caught his breath he saw Gaara emerge from the landslide of books, also having lost his true demon form.

Removing a book from his head and throwing it uncaringly across the room, Gaara silently dressed himself, not meeting the prince's concerned gaze.

"Gaara," Naruto said quietly, and the redhead seemed to tense more in his actions. He was dressed within seconds, and with loud echoing steps he made quick strides to the bedroom door.

He paused with his fingers wrapped around the golden handle.

"Please excuse me, your highness," he said with such formality that Naruto felt its cold slap in the face before the man had disappeared through the door.

Naruto looked down at his hands where the strange energy had burst forth from. Though he couldn't identify this power source, it felt eerily familiar.

Naruto jolted where he sat as there was a polite knock at his door, and he scrambled for his robe. Once it was secured around him he opened the door, releasing the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding when he saw that it was Iruka.

"May I?" Iruka asked, and Naruto opened the door more widely, gladly inviting him in. Naruto was well aware that they had much to discuss.

Iruka sighed as he sat heavily upon Naruto's bed, like a great weight was bearing down on his shoulders.

Naruto sat next to the man he had known since he was a child silently. Iruka was the closest thing Naruto had ever, _would_ ever, have to a father. The king treated him well enough, but didn't coddle and scold him like a father the way Iruka did.

"How did it happen, Naruto?" Iruka finally said, gazing down at the floor rather than the blond.

"Iruka?" Naruto said, confused.

"The…the collar," Iruka clarified, and Naruto's hand flew up to his neck where Iruka had wrapped bandages around the collar to hide it from other eyes.

"I got scared," Naruto slowly explained. "I transformed in front of a human, and he clasped the collar on me before I could even think."

"How long has it been there?"

"About two weeks." Naruto rubbed the bandages, feeling the stones of the collar jutting out beneath them.

"There's nothing we can do," Iruka said, and Naruto looked at him, surprised. He had never heard the man sound so defeated before.

"Wh—"

"Only the hands that put that collar on can take it off," Iruka interrupted Naruto. "If anyone else tried, either they would die, or you would. The longer you have that collar on the more the stones will sink into your skin. If they sink all the way in, then not even the human who put that thing on you can remove it anymore."

Naruto sighed, brushing his fingers against the bandages.

"Are you aware of the severity of this situation?" Iruka said harshly, and Naruto nodded.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured, and Iruka couldn't help but relinquish his cold glare in favor of heaving a great sigh and rubbing the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb

"Something else is going on," Iruka said, and Naruto looked up at him, almost frightened. Was he really that transparent?

After a thick and uneasy pause Naruto decided that things really couldn't get worse if he just told Iruka the situation with Sasuke.

"The human that put this on me," he started slowly, "I…we…we have some sort of connection."

"How?" Iruka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sometimes when I'm distressed…I can hear his thoughts, and I can talk back to him with my mind." Iruka's eyes widened to the size of saucers, and he pinned Naruto down roughly to the bed, undoing the top of his robe and staring at his analiax symbol.

Naruto rolled his eyes up to the ceiling as he experienced a sense of déjà vu.

"Has your symbol been burning?" the man asked, his eyes never leaving Naruto's abdomen.

"Yea actually. The first night I met him when he kissed me I—"

"You kissed him?" Iruka said, eyes shifting to burrow into Naruto's.

"Ye-yes," Naruto said, cursing himself for stuttering. "And then when I was apart from him, we were both in pain. I felt like I needed him there with me to make it stop. That's when we started talking with our thoughts."

"And?" Iruka urged him.

"I don't know. I passed out and Sas—the human…didn't wake up until days later either."

Iruka sat back heavily on the bed, holding his head in his palm wearily.

"Do you know what this is, Iruka-san?" Naruto asked cautiously. Iruka mulled over the new information he received before replying.

"No…," he murmured, turning his gaze away from the young prince. "But I do know that you are never to go back to that place. You need to get your act together before the king and queen come home, and prepare to mate with Gaara-san."

"I just tried to," Naruto sighed, flopping back on his bed. "Some kind of energy came through my hands and pushed him halfway across the room."

"Gah," Iruka groaned, cradling his head in his hands.

"What happened to me?" Naruto asked, suddenly more serious.

"You're connected to that person…human…whatever he is. And because of that you can't mate."

"Wh-"

"-you just can't, ok!" Iruka snapped, cutting Naruto off sharply. Naruto's ears pressed against his head and he looked away from his mentor.

Iruka's glare relaxed and another sigh parted his lips.

"I'm sorry Naruto," he said, ruffling the young prince's hair soothingly. "I really can't take anymore questions right now. I'm still stressed from your return."

Naruto smiled a little, and even though Iruka recognized its transparency immediately, he felt a little better.

"Come," he said, standing and beckoning. "Get yourself dressed. You're late for sparring lessons in the courtyard."

Naruto nodded and stood as well, striding to his dresser as Iruka closed the door to his room and left.

Naruto opened the top drawer in his shining walnut dresser, and froze.

His hands quivered uneasily as he reached in the drawer, and gently lifted Sasuke's folded shirt and pants that Naruto had worn during his stay with the raven. Iruka must have stowed them away for him.

Naruto's eyes softened as he caressed the dark blue fabric with a thumb longingly. He brought the clothes to his face, breathing in their scent.

"_Sasuke,"_ Naruto thought as he exhaled, holding the clothing tightly against his chest as if clutching a precious treasure. But then again, since Naruto knew that he would never see Sasuke again, it was his only memento of the Uchiha that remained with him.

It really was his irreplaceable treasure.

Naruto placed the clothing back into the drawer carefully, before grabbing a set of clothes with the royal emblem one drawer down.

Naruto undid the tie on his robe, allowing it to fall and pool around his ankles. As he shimmied on his shirt, his fingers brushing against the white bandages wrapped around his neck.

Naruto had almost forgotten that this was another parting gift from Sasuke.

Or to be more precise, a parting curse.

* * *

Sasuke had made a decision.

Not a thorough one on his part, but he felt it was a solid decision nonetheless.

Focusing on Naruto would only hinder him in his current state; he had a war to contend with and couldn't be sidetracked by emotions.

Sasuke knew that erasing Naruto from his mind, to really say goodbye to those memories, would be difficult and surmount to several weeks worth of mental preparation, but it would be worth it to not feel consumed with loneliness.

To not feel the ache.

* * *

**Reviews are love!**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune**


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